Disposable income figures lower than national average

The disposable income of Clare people is now between the 90% and 95% of the national average, while people in Dublin, Kildare, Limerick and Meath had average disposable incomes above the national average.

The figures relate to 2007, when the Dublin region had the highest disposable income per person, being 10.8% above the State average.
In Clare, the average disposable income per person is significantly lower than in neighboring Limerick, where it is 100% to 110% of the State average.
Irish Rural Link, the national network campaigning for sustainable rural communities, said that the these figure show “a two-tier Ireland with significant differences in income between urban and more rural counties, with larger gaps likely in future”.
According to Irish Rural Link chief executive Seamus Boland, “These figures show that spending on rural infrastructure and local services cannot be cut and highlight the need for investment in infrastructure and training. Carbon tax is adding to rural households’ fuel bills at a time rural incomes are at an all-time low.
“In view of Bus Éireann’s cutbacks and these figures, the Government should immediately remove the levy on petrol and postpone the introduction of the carbon tax on domestic fuel for two years until it is properly rural-proofed and a cost-benefit analysis for rural enterprises is carried out.”
Mr Boland pointed out that 40% of the country’s population lives in rural areas and that these areas have been particularly badly affected by the economic downturn.
Following the McCarthy report, “The Department of Finance said that ‘investing in areas with very low populations cannot be seen as a priority in the current economic climate’. This is despite 40% of the population living in rural dispersed settlements. The unemployment crisis will be most difficult to resolve in more rural counties that were over-reliant on primary industries such as agriculture, construction and traditional manufacturing.
“Off-farm income in sectors such as construction was vital for farm families and thousands of these jobs have been lost,” he claimed.
Mr Boland urged the Government to invest in regional development. “Developing the full potential of each region to contribute to the economic performance of the State as a whole is more important in the current circumstances than ever before.
“Commitments to achieving more balanced regional development must be kept and we need some fresh thinking on developing more dynamic regional employment markets.”