Rural areas are not missing out on the jobs boom, says MIchael Noonan

Rural Ireland is not being left behind in a new jobs boom, according to Finance Minister Michael Noonan.

A new layer of rural industry was emerging, he said, adding that an integrated development plan for manufacturing industry was taking shape with multinationals moving into major centres of population and smaller industry growing in less-populated communities.

“If you take the multi-national agenda off the table and look at what’s happening in rural parishes, the seeds are being sown for a very strong indigenous base of both manufacturing and service industry, with the support of Enterprise Ireland and a new role for local authorities.”