Midlands, south-east ‘deprived regions’

THE midlands and south-east are emerging as the new disadvantaged areas, a conference on rural development heard in Tullamore, Co Offaly, yesterday.

Experts outlined dramatic changes in rural Ireland over the past decade with a significant economic performance fall in the midlands and south-east regions.

In contrast, counties in the Border and western counties have maintained their performance and are significantly ahead of the midlands and south-east.

David Meredith of Teagasc Rural Economy Research Centre said household income in the midlands and south-east was below 85% of the national average. In the Border and western counties it is between 85% and 90%.

Meanwhile, a Teagasc study in rural Galway has shown that non-farmers are the dominant household types in areas close to urban centres.

Conducted by Jim Frawley of Teagasc Rural Economy Research Centre, the study findings shows that the population in areas near urban centres increased by up to 50% between 1996 and 2002 while that of more remote rural areas remained static or declined.

Mr Frawley said only one-sixth of heads of households in the near urban areas are farmers compared to over half in the more remote areas, where a high proportion of the population are retired or unemployed.