West=On=Track -News

CSO Regional Report Reinforces Need for Full Implementation of the National Spatial Strategy

BMW Regional Assembly Press Release 26th June 2008 

Prioritisation of Investment in the Region Required to Narrow Economic Gap between BMW Region and S&E Region

The Director of the BMW Regional Assembly Mr. Gerry Finn welcomed the first publication of the CSO's 'Regional Quality of Life in Ireland' Report. "This report highlights the fact that economic activity remains highly concentrated in the Dublin Region which is evidenced by the large expansion of Dublin's commuter belt and the higher levels of Gross Value Added (GVA) activity in the Greater Dublin Region (GDA). This pattern of economic activity is potentially detrimental to the competitiveness of the GDA and also to the country as a whole in the long term". This, according to the Regional Assembly's Director, "reinforces the need to prioritise the implementation of the National Spatial Strategy to avoid unsustainable concentrations of economic activity".

The report shows that the Mid-East Region, the main commuting region for Dublin, had an above average increase in population of 15.2% between 2002-2006, this pattern of economic development is further supported by the reported regional differences in Gross Value Added (GVA) per person. Which is 23.1% higher than the national average in the GDA, Dublin (35.9%) and the Mid-East (30.8%) also have the highest proportion of persons with a 3rd level qualification, this compares to 24.7% in the BMW Region. According to Mr. Finn "Greater investment is required in the designated Gateway growth centres to provide a real counter balance to this economic growth and to this end I welcome and look forward to the outcome of the ¤300m Gateway Innovation Fund (GIF) process".

The CSO report also highlights the geographical divide in the provision of broadband with 53% of households with a PC in Dublin have broadband access compared with 22% in the BMW Region. This data supports the need for the pending rollout of the National Broadband Scheme.

Finally, the Director stated that "a greater prioritisation of investment in the BMW Region was required under the NDP 2007-2013 to narrow the economic gap between the BMW Region and Southern and Eastern Region".