Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

Those responsible for the south-east area action plan for jobs briefed Oireachtas Members from the south east last Thursday. They brought with them a number of industry champions from the area who are involved in driving the region forward. Significantly, the group included the five CEOs of the local authorities in the region. The group is very concerned that the area has lagged behind historically and that unemployment levels in the region are the second highest nationally, while the region is second lowest in foreign direct investment. It is 4% in the region and 6% nationally with approximately 7% of these jobs as against a population of 11%. High potential start-ups are similarly 4.5% as against a population of 11% in the region. There is also, of course, a huge brain drain from the region with 67% of students leaving the region to study. Unfortunately, 40% of them fail to return. We ask for a genuine focus on the region and for real balanced regional development. There must at least be no further incentivisation of growth in the Dublin area. We further call for preferential treatment for the regions, in particular the south east.

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