Regional profile to encourage investment in Mid-West

A DOCUMENT that brings together figures on everything from the ratio of men to women in the region to vacant houses, migration, unemployment, education levels, social housing, population growth, fields of employment and quality of life will be launched this week.
According to the Mid-West Regional Authority (MWRA), the group behind the Mid-West Regional Profile 2012, the report will encourage investment by local and international companies in the region. The report is the first of its kind undertaken by an Irish regional authority and will form the basis for determining plans and policies for the future of the region, the MWRA claims.
Among the profile’s findings is a need to “improve competitiveness and cost-efficiency for alternative transport infrastructure (rail and bus)”. It also highlights a requirement to sustainably increase the population in the Mid-West and to retain its educated population.
The report recommends that the Lynx cargo facility be developed at Shannon if “it is to remain a commercially viable entity and a competitive destination for future freight cargo operations”.
Asked if Shannon Airport could survive without the development of the facility, MWRA director Liam Conneally said he believed it would.
“I think Shannon Airport will survive but we want Shannon Airport to do more than just survive. We want Shannon Airport to be a sustainable international airport, which will have many facets.
“We are talking about passenger traffic, we are talking about commercial passenger traffic but we are also talking about other opportunities that the airport can provide and one of those opportunities is in freight transport and, in particular, freight transport with the potential for customs and border protection facilities,” he said.
Explaining the relevance of the report to a multi-national considering locating in the Mid-West, Mr Conneally pointed out it offers them a guide to the strengths of the region.
“We are providing a full profile of what this region has to offer. Specifically, on the freight perspective, they are going to do their own due diligence as to what the Shannon product can offer them. What we are saying is that the Lynx facility will be an important piece of the future sustainability of the airport and I believe it needs to happen sooner rather than later,” he said.
The MWRA will launch the profile, which it says is the most comprehensive socio-economic review ever conducted of Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary, at its annual conference in Ennistymon this Friday.
Friday’s conference, entitled Economic Development in the Regions: The Way Forward, will be launched by Planning and Housing Minister, Jan O’Sullivan. Minister O’Sullivan will be joined by 150 industry officials and members of local authorities, public and private sector agencies, semi-state and civil society organisations and research institutions involved in the promotion of business and development in Ireland.
Speakers scheduled to address the event include Minister O’Sullivan; Councillor Joe Leddin, MWRA cathaoirleach; Dean Panter, Fáilte Ireland; John Whelan, CEO, Irish Exporters’ Association; Maria Ginnity, enterprise manager, Forfás; Pat Keating, CEO of Shannon-Foynes Port Company and Edmond Gleeson, Mid-West Regional Authority designated manager and manager of Limerick County Council.
Among the other main topics of discussion at this week’s conference will be the future competitiveness of the Mid-West Region, the importance of international connectivity, the Irish export market and the potential for the Irish tourism sector.