The horrendous fire in Tycor in Waterford city was obviously devastating for local residents, but most especially for the social enterprises, small businesses, service providers, a school of music, and a company that provided costumes for theatre. Much was lost. I met many of them yesterday. I know that the Minister was in, but I also met them afterwards. They have a number of asks. The first is that everything possible be done to get them back on their feet and get those businesses up and running again. I spoke to the CEO of Waterford City and County Council this morning and he said that what was needed was a fund that should be administered by the local authority. Money has to be put on the table. That could enable supports to be given to those organisations quickly. They also need premises. There was a real sense of community among those people. They have been working together for years with a mix of social enterprises and service providers. Can Enterprise Ireland and the IDA look at sites that would be appropriate?

Sentiment score: -0.04