Industrial growth in Mid-West is lagging

INDUSTRIAL growth in the Mid-West is falling dangerously behind other regions, the chief executive of Limerick Chamber of Commerce warned yesterday.

Maria Kelly said she anticipates the upcoming annual IDA report will bear out her fears about the decline in industrial growth in Limerick area, compared to Cork, Dublin and the Border regions.

“What I’m hearing in terms of growth is that we here in Limerick are at a quarter of what is happening in Cork and Dublin. We are lagging far behind in industrial growth,” she said.

Ms Kelly said the region urgently needs to act together and present a cohesive, effective lobby in dealing with key government ministers and industry leaders. As a starting point, Limerick Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with BDO Simpson Xavier’s marketing department for a major survey of existing industry in Limerick and wider Mid-West.

She said the survey will arm them with specifics which can be used to lobby Government.

“We are setting up a Mid-West Forum, a forum of chambers of commerce in the Mid-West. That strengthens your voice and gives you a stronger lobbying position when taking on the government. In October we will try and get key ministers down here for a symposium. I would like to have Enterprise Minister Micheál Martin tell us what he is doing for Limerick. I would like to have the Minister for Communications tell us why broadband is lagging behind,” Ms Kelly said.

Ms Kelly felt many businesses were worried about the future.

“The larger businesses like Dell are doing well, but I am detecting a concern among smaller businesses, and a real feeling that the Mid-West has been forgotten about while an awful lot is going on in the Cork and Dublin regions,” she said.

She said the National Development Plan and the National Spatial Strategy had not delivered to the Mid-West to the extent they had to other regions.

She described the condition of some of the main national link roads connecting the Mid-West to other regions as “scandalous” and in need of huge investment.

“We must now step up to the plate and tell the Government, this is what we want. The survey should form a battle plan in lobbying in the run up to the next election.”