Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegation for attending to outline the real concerns in the economy of the south east region. I thank Senator Cullinane, as rapporteur, for this report. I look forward to its publication because it will be an important document in terms of how we identify where we want to go in the south east region.

I grew up in Waterford, in the south east region, and I agree that we have fundamental flaws in the structure of the region. Whether they are infrastructural, societal or governmental we are very much on the hind foot, so to speak. It was once a strong manufacturing region that depended on traditional industry, as the manager said, but we now face new challenges, and Government recognises that. What concerns me most, however, is the lack of coherence within the region. As a region we are not competing with other regions. That has been the case for many years but it is explicit now with the challenges we face.

As policy makers and as politicians we must take into account what the witnesses have come here today to say to us. We know much of it already but we must ask ourselves how we can best achieve what we set out to achieve. I agree with Mr. Crockett that the first thing we need is a coherent regional strategy that identifies growth areas into which we can put our resources, as Deputy Deasy said, prioritise our budgets, prioritise our policies and go for it. Unfortunately, the south east region has been fragmented heretofore. We have a good deal of work to do. That is even in recent debates whether on the medical side, industry or education in that segments within our own region are pulling it apart. That is the way I see it. Until we come together as a region and adopt a coherent regional strategy, we will not make the progress we need to make. When we identify that strategy and adopt those objectives, we must identify the priorities and the drivers. It is then up to all of us, as stakeholders in the region, to put in the resources that are required.

In response to Deputy Calleary, I know the west has suffered in the past but it is not suffering as badly as the south east region is currently, especially Waterford city, which is on its knees economically. It needs help, and I ask him to open his eyes and ears to what the people are saying here today.

My question is to both managers. How best do they believe we can achieve that regional coherence from a local authority and service level? How can Government, and we as policy makers, support that?

I address my remarks to Mr. Senan Cooke. The bottom up proposal of enterprise in communities is very important. I come from a family that has created 15 jobs in our community. I can tell the witnesses it has taken a generation of hard work to create those jobs, with only some support in the latter years. It is a huge challenge to create jobs in small communities but it is not a challenge we should give up on. We must motivate our citizens, our local authorities and our policy makers to look again to communities where there is real potential, and small jobs is where we will make the difference. I fully support Mr. Cooke's proposal and I hope this committee will examine more closely the bottom up approach because small micro-enterprises growing over generations will be more sustainable and viable in the longer term. I hope we will see progress on that front.