Dáil debates

Wednesday, 18 November 2020

Rural and Community Development: Statements

 

4:55 pm

Photo of Seán CanneySeán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

When we talk about regional development, the programme for Government is laced with the issue of regional development. I want to bring that closer to home and comment on what is actually happening. If we take the north and west region, which consists of eight counties, namely, Galway, Roscommon, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal, it has the highest level of regional inequality in Europe. That information is coming from the European Commission. The EU Commission has also noted that Brexit will worsen that situation. This inequality is most stark when we consider that the per capita GDP contribution in the west and Border region is €28,000, while in the east and south it is €70,000. The west and Border region has been redesignated and downgraded from a developed region to a region in transition by the European Union. We have been notified that the west of Ireland has been downgraded.

This reclassification offers us an opportunity, however, because the co-financing rate goes from 40% to 60% for the north and west from 2021. For every €100 in co-financing for which we apply in respect of structural funding, therefore, we will get €60 back from the European Union. On top of that, the European Parliament recently published a review of industrial policy across the EU, highlighting the north and western region in Ireland as a lagging region. What are we going to do about this situation and where are the problems? First, the towns and villages across the west and north west are devoid of sewerage schemes and proper water. We cannot grow these towns and bring young families in to live in them because there are no incentives to do that. We are all hell-bent on building new houses all over the place while we have many houses vacant. We must do something at Government level to sort out that.

I am disappointed the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, states that it is not his problem but one for the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Humphreys, to sort out. In that regard, will the Minister of State here find out for me where is the report that was done on six towns in a pilot scheme to see how we could regenerate them? That pilot plan was put in place by the then Minister, Deputy Michael Ring, and me when we were in Government. The findings of that report were with the departmental officials and I would like to know where that is at now.

I also note that the Minister of State's colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has made strong and positive remarks concerning the western rail corridor and rail industry in Ireland. He is passionate about the fact that we need to develop the regions by having a proper rail network. I support him in that, and I support the Government in its actions to get that sorted out. We must create connectivity between the north west, including Ballina and Westport, down through Claremorris and Tuam, up to Sligo, down into Limerick, out to Shannon Foynes Port and then down to Waterford Port. We also need to improve our commuter services. If we are to create a region which can compete with and be as attractive as the east, we must do these things.

This is the concept of the Atlantic economic corridor. Has the Atlantic economic corridor task force group met since the Government was formed? We have potential in the region to highlight offshore energy and the benefits of the sea which we have at our backs. I refer to technology. For example, we have one of the global leaders in the development of the autonomous car based in Tuam, where more than 1,000 people are working. We must, however, ensure we create more of that type of industry in the regions. We also have the potential to grow agri-tech businesses in the regions. As Deputy Naughten said, we also have the Wild Atlantic way, Ireland's Hidden Heartlands, but what we need to do right now is to support that industry. The national broadband plan is also being rolled out, despite the best efforts of many politicians in the last Dáil to stop that.

Regional Ireland is with us and it is part of us. It is an area in transition. We have the potential to gain a great deal of funding from Europe. We must have the vision and the concepts that ensure we create a region which people will see as attractive to work in, live in and to raise their families in. We have it, and we must ensure we are courageous in our decisions. If we are to do a cost-benefit analysis in respect of every little thing which we do, we will do nothing. We must have vision, strength of mind and we must look at examples of things such as Ireland West Airport Knock, which would not exist without courage, without vision and without the guidance of many people locally. There is a great onus on the Government now to ensure this region does not further lag behind, as has been stated and notified officially by the European Commission to the Irish Government. We must ensure, post Covid-19, as well as during our Covid-19 period, that we invest and not just talk about it or produce plans. At this stage, we must have action and implementation of the plans which exist. We will then have a better balanced economy right across the country.

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