It has a workforce, a port, airport... all that’s missing is the jobs

WITH the move towards a “smart economy” all the rage in recent years, often what made Ireland grow from the 1960s onwards has been forgotten.

Today so-called “clean industries,” frequently in the services sector like call centres and sales and marketing, are promoted as the way of the future but for many areas, they’re never going to shorten the unemployment queues to any great extent.

It’s too easy to airbrush from history the contribution made by the sector that’s now sometimes referred to as “heavy industry” with all but a sneer.