Focus investment on rural Ireland, says Tom Fleming

Rural Ireland was losing out in a two-tier recovery, Independent TD Tom Fleming told the Dáil.

He said 50 per cent of foreign direct investment companies, totalling 596, were located in the greater Dublin region. The east coast had seen annual employment growth of approximately 5 per cent, while it was 2 per cent in other urban areas.

“Unfortunately, in the rest of rural Ireland, employment growth is practically nil,’’ Mr Fleming added.

He said Kerry, which he represented, was “an industrial wasteland and down to a meagre 12 IDA Ireland companies’’. Roscommon had eight companies, Tipperary 11 and Monaghan 6.

Equal opportunity

Mr Fleming urged the Government to take the focus away from the major urban areas and give equal opportunity to rural Ireland, which was decimated.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said Mr Fleming, as a representative of a very large tract of rural Ireland, knew that when one ploughed a field, seeded and rolled it, one had to let it grow.

“It is the same with trying to get an economy moving, coming from the depths of where we were to a point where we can see real improvement,’’ he added. “I agree that many places in provincial Ireland have not seen the return to growth we would like.’’

Live register drop

Mr Kenny said there had been a 34 per cent drop in the live register in Kerry since the regional action plan was introduced.

Hospitality, the Wild Atlantic Way, broadband development, road and water infrastructure and wastewater treatment represented opportunities to make areas more attractive for investment.

The capital programme included new Garda stations, 300 schools and other improvements in the southwest, Mr Kenny added.

The improvement of all these facilities is very important,’’ the Taoiseach added. “While the deputy’s question is well meant, employment is growing in his area and the live register number has fallen because of new jobs being created.’’

Mr Fleming said there was optimism that economic growth would continue, but that reality was that 203,000 people were jobless at the beginning of this month.