South-east ‘can become key financial hub’

WATERFORD must focus its efforts on luring some of the world’s leading financial services employers to the region. If they do, others will follow quickly, a leading economist said yesterday.

But the county and the region must ensure the key industrial requirements, chief among them modern infrastructure, high quality housing, high quality IT and a skilled labour force, are met as quickly as possible, Friends First chief economist, Jim Power, said.

“Some 55,500 people are employed in this sector. It is a high value-added activity. It’s all indigenous, all value added and makes a very real contribution to a local economy.