The collaborative, collective approach of stakeholders in the Mid-West region will be the key differentiator for this region in terms of its economic competitiveness going forward, the Chairman of the Action Plan for Jobs Mid-West has stated.
One week after the launch of the Regional Enterprise Plan for the Mid-West, Barry O’Sullivan said that the Mid-West has an edge over many regions because of the unique partnership approach applied here.
Mr O’Sullivan was speaking following the unveiling of the plan by Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation Heather Humphreys, together with Minister Patrick O’Donovan, Minister Michael Ring and Minister Pat Breen – an event that saw the government ministers reaffirm their commitment to achieving the type of balanced regional development aimed for under Project Ireland 2040.
He said that the unique national-local government, public-private partnership approach will be critical going forward. “Collaboration is the new buzz word. But translating it into reality is a real challenge for most businesses; never mind across multiple organisations spanning the public and private sectors. Luckily, it’s something we do very well in the Mid-West.
“I want to thank the three local authority chief executives for their leadership, as well as their willingness to work in partnership with other public bodies and private sector experts. The economic benefits of these collaborations have impact; to date we have accessed over €9.4m in funding to deliver five game-changing projects, three of them in Limerick, which will support the creation of up to 2,000 jobs over the coming years,” said Mr O’Sullivan
Said Conn Murray, Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council: “As identified in our Regional Enterprise Plan, a strong functioning capital city is crucial in maintaining Ireland’s position as a globally competitive location. But Dublin is overheated and struggling with agglomeration concentrations, potentially weakening the value proposition for Ireland if solutions are not delivered.”
Meanwhile, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr James Collins has said that collaboration will play a key role going forward, locally but also across the wider region. The Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy (RSES) for the Southern Region, which is published in draft format, is, he said, such an opportunity.
“The draft RSES provides a long-term regional level strategic planning and economic framework for the future physical, economic and social developments for the Southern Region – Limerick, Clare, Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow and Wexford. This is a huge opportunity for Limerick to build on the great success we have achieved over recent years.
“If we get this strategy right, there’s an opportunity for Limerick, together with Cork, Galway and Waterford to provide the type of economic balance that’s so badly needed on the island of Ireland. Dublin is bursting at the seams and it is up to us to provide a release valve for that. Getting the right strategy in place to deliver on this is essential.
“It’s up to all stakeholders to make submissions to make sure we get this right and, as a local authority, we are not going to be found wanting in that regard. If a strategy is delivered that will realise the regional balance so badly needed, every one across the island will gain. If it isn’t, the status quo gets a lot worse and there will be no turning back. We need a strong voice to ensure a balanced plan is agreed to ensure Limerick’s continued success ,” he said.
The draft RSES is a consultation document and the Southern Regional Assembly will consider all submissions made in writing before 5.00pm Friday 08th March 2019 before adopting the RSES. Submissions or observations can be made via:
Online: www.southernassembly.ie or email: rses@southernassembly.ie