Brendan Howlin agrees €818m investment deal with EU

Every house in the country should be linked up to high-speed broadband while 60,000 small and medium- sized companies can expect financial assistance from the EU’s regional development fund.

The agreement drawing down €409m from the EU which will be matched by government funds bringing the total to €818m was signed in Brussels by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin.

For the first time the country will have three rather than two regions, leaving the Border, Midlands and West as one but dividing the rest of the country into a greater Dublin area including the capital, and the east and south.