Mr. Ian Brannigan:

As stated by Dr. Garvey, the Western Development Commission welcomes the opportunity to address the committee. We are a statutory body formed in 1998 promoting economic and social development in the western region of Ireland. The WDC operates under the aegis of our parent Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development. The general functions of the WDC are set out in the Western Development Commission Act, as mentioned, and are to foster and promote growth in the seven counties of the western region.

The WDC has developed a way of working that delivers a unique and effective response to the development challenges of a predominantly rural region. It delivers a critical capacity to the western region to identify, design and implement economic development and growth. Furthermore, it adds value and regional sensitivity to the work of national and international bodies and actively engages with regional interests. The WDC has sought to establish a capability for future growth both for the region and all of its citizens. The WDC's current key strategic goals are outlined in our strategic statement. The WDC aims to inform and influence policymaking on economic and social development in Ireland’s western region through high-quality analysis, promoting the benefits of living, working and doing business in Ireland’s western region, encouraging the development of the western economy based on the sustainable development of the western region’s strengths and resources, and providing risk capital to micro, small and medium-sized and social enterprises through the WDC western investment fund, WIF.

We are fully aligned with current and emerging national policy. We are also fully aligned with policy and best practice in the area of regional development. A Programme for a Partnership Government includes a specific commitment to reinforce the role of the WDC to support the implementation of regional jobs plans in the west and north west. We also work with the Government to realise the relevant commitments in Project Ireland 2040 and the ongoing regional spatial and economic strategies. Similarly, the recent strategic statement of our parent Department, which includes a strategic goal to enhance regional development, states an objective to strengthen the role of the Western Development Commission in contributing to regional and national policy objectives.

I will now address the committee's specific request to comment briefly on our past performance. The WDC, through its collaborative efforts in recent years, has directly supported hundreds of regional enterprises. Through partnering with regional stakeholders, relevant national and international bodies, and the Departments, the WDC has also supported or created almost 5,000 jobs. Critically, it has also acted as an enabler for our region's wider development through mentoring, advocacy and access to finance solutions for partners such as local authorities, the local enterprise offices, LEOs, Enterprise Ireland, the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, LEADER etc. Through our innovative regional promotional platform, www.lookwest.ie, we have created and supported an identity for thousands of citizens engaging in events and programmes and thereby promoting the region domestically and globally.

The key performance outcomes in recent years for the organisation have included investment in regional jobs. Since 2010, the WDC has sourced and directed in excess of €13 million in total funding towards regional enterprise and employment development through Exchequer, EU and own funds. Also included is the realisation of regional jobs. In recent years approximately 2,700 direct jobs and 5,000 in total, indirect and direct, have been significantly supported by the WDC in the region. Regional policy review and analysis capability has led to advances in critical areas such as broadband roll-out, extension of the gas network to towns in the region, showcasing novel growth sectors such as the creative economy, and ensuring the region is at the forefront of national initiatives such as Project Ireland 2040, the regional spatial and economic strategies, RSES, and the Commission for Economic Development of Rural Areas, CEDRA, of which we were a key component.

We also offer the region a unique strategic development capacity to design and implement, with stakeholders, solutions for sustainable socio-economic growth within the western region. This has led over the years to the realisation of initiatives in key regional growth sectors such as the creative economy growth programme, the Creative West, where the WDC has championed and delivered targeted microloan offerings, a €2 million regional film fund, and an export platform, all of which have been developed and offered by us with partners to grow the sector.

To what end has this been done? In 2018, the National University of Ireland, Galway, NUIG, estimated approximately 13,000 people are working in the sector. In 2009, when the WDC launched Creative West, the direct employment was around 11,000. The WDC has also supported the renewable energy and green economy sector in the region. Similarly, responding to stakeholder needs in recent years, we have created a regional capacity and capability to access EU programming resources and funds. From a standing start in 2009, the region now has the capacity to develop and deliver significant funding across the region and a range of key growth areas. We are engaged in nine major EU projects in 2018, with a total value exceeding €18 million. These have supported a wide and diverse range of regional clients and stakeholders to benefit.

I will give some examples. A total of 119 creative industry businesses in the region have access to international markets through the www.mycreativeedge.eumarketing platform. These include Derryhick Sticks in Mayo, Black Hen Design in Roscommon, Howling Hamster games in Galway, and the Secret Life of Plastic, an unusual initiative from Ennis. Our renewable energy businesses are gaining access to markets through our EU programmes. For example, ProAir in Galway has recently received funds and other support from us and is now evolving to Enterprise Ireland support and will grow larger through that. Through our EU capacity, we have offered scores of stakeholders and hundreds of SMEs access to EU expertise and resources. I refer to local authorities, higher education institutes, HEIs, Údarás na Gaeltachta, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, the Marine Institute etc.

The WDC, in respect of performance, has also developed and delivered a unique regional access to finance capability. Our western investment fund, WIF, is a critical component in the WDC’s abilities to undertake its remit.This innovative solution to regional disparities was established by the Government to be a unique source of risk funding to projects, businesses and communities in the region. Significantly, it has increased regional access to venture capital, VC, funding from 3% of total deals done in the State to over 7% in the past ten to 15 years, thereby addressing a key market failure for businesses in the region. Cumulative gains from this innovative initiative include €48 million invested, 140 enterprises supported within the western region, €208 million additional investment leveraged from private and other sources, critical jobs supported and created through this initiative, and now capital reserves available for more growth projects across a wider range with the development agenda.

Due to its dynamic and significant performance in supporting access to finance for regional businesses and its strength, the Western Investment Fund, WIF, offers us an enhanced range of opportunities to realise regional growth.

In terms of performance, we will look at regional identity. Ourwww.lookwest.ie platform has given the region a brand with real reach - more than 1 million people have visited and accessed our website since its inception - and we now have almost 20,000 social media friends within the region. This has allowed local authorities, organisations, individuals and business engage with one another in all things of the west. Novel collaborations such as a talent tool for the region are examples of how this work strives to retain and attract human capital and thus inward investment to our region.

The WDC seeks to achieve a significant step change in the effectiveness of key parts of our regional economy, which, as I said, are mostly rural in nature. The goal of the WDC is to upgrade the diversity and nature of the regional economy to make the region better able to sustain continuous long-term growth and contribute even more to the national success story.

Importantly, while recognising that our region is primarily rural in nature, it is understood that urban centres, such as Galway city, may effectively anchor the regional growth. This is a positive aspect. What would make it an indispensable aspect is designing the support policies to effectively disperse the economic benefits to the wider regional hinterlands. As such, consideration for design and implementation of effective spatial and economic development strategies will need to be considered to support such an aim. The WDC looks forward to fully supporting the regional spatial and economic strategies, RSES, process in realising these ambitions.

While in the main, the WDC has sought to inform the members on its recent strong past performance in delivering both on its remit and on the applicable national and regional policy directives, it is also important to note the current efforts on formulating an appropriate future strategy for the organisation, as mentioned by the chair.Today the WDC is advancing the formulation of its next strategic statement. This is being led by the board which has appointed a dedicated subcommittee for the purpose of guiding and co-ordinating the work plan for identifying the goals of the 2019 to 2023 strategic statement.

The WDC has demonstrated a strong performance in terms of its remit of fostering and supporting economic growth within its geographical boundaries. This is seen in the capacity, reach, investment and job support numbers outlined this submission. However, it remains apparent that this identified growth areas merit consideration on how to continue to maintain and, indeed, accelerate this rate of primarily indigenous regional socio-economic growth. Opportunities are apparent and regional support to unlock their potential is essential, not only to develop a sustainable modern economy in the region, but also in addressing potential disparities.

I would like to take the opportunity afforded to us by the committee to note the efforts of the staff of the WDC and boards, past and present, for their efforts in all our endeavours. I extend gratitude to the Chairman and the committee for affording us this opportunity to talk to them today.