South East Economic Development Strategy - Oireachtas

Tithe an Oireachtais

Houses of the Oireachtas

An Comhchoiste um Poist, Fiontair agus Nuálaíocht

Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Straitéis Forbartha Eacnamaíochta an Oirdheiscirt2013 -2023

South East Economic Development Strategy (SEEDS)

2013 -2023

Cuir síos na síolta – Cuir fás faoin EacnamaíochtPlant the SEEDS – Grow the Economy

JEI ****

2 South East Economic Development Strategy

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................................5

Chairman’s Foreword.........................................................................................................................7

Rapporteur’s Introduction (Senator David Cullinane)......................................................................9

1 Executive Summary.............................................................................................................11

1.1 Introduction and rationale for the report...........................................................11

1.2 Key Facts..........................................................................................................13

1.3 A vision for the Southeast.................................................................................14

1.4 Key Actions and Interventions..........................................................................16

1.5 Structure and Implementation..........................................................................25

2. Profile of the Southeast – Strengths and Weaknesses...............................................................27

3 Key Areas.............................................................................................................................33

3.1 Education, Training and Development.............................................................33

3.2 Infrastructural development..............................................................................46

3.3 Fostering FDI growth and developing an enterprise environment....................64

3.4 Supporting the SME Sector..............................................................................70

4 Key Growth Sector...............................................................................................................74

4.1 Agri-Business, Fishing, Food Production and Technology...............................74

4.2 Tourism, Arts and Culture.................................................................................80

4.3 Health, Life Sciences and Medical Devices......................................................83

4.4 Financial and International Trading Services...................................................85

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4.5 Bio Technology and the Green Economy.........................................................87

4.6 Creative Industries and the ICT sector.............................................................90

4.7 Social Economy and Economic Self Reliance..................................................95

5. Appendices.........................................................................................................................101

5.1 Membership of the Joint Committee...............................................................101

5.2 List of consultation meetings and submissions..............................................102

5.3 Profile of companies in the Southeast............................................................108

5.4 Profile of the construction sector in the Southeast.........................................129

5.5 Glossary of terms...........................................................................................132

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Acknowledgments

The Report acknowledges the research undertaken by Martin Spain and the significant contribution he made to the report. It further acknowledges the research undertaken by the Oireachtas Library and Research service. The material and research carried out by the author was based on the oral consultations and written submissions of all of the groups, organisations and individuals who contributed to the consultation process. The report also acknowledges the contributions of Ciaran Quinn, Mary Roche and Joanne Spain.

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Chairman’s Foreword

Damien EnglishCommittee Chairman

(FG)

From its establishment in June 2011, the former Joint Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education identified unemployment in general, long term unemployment and youth unemployment as key priority issues that were fundamentally important in national efforts to achieve economic recovery. In September 2012, on foot of a proposal from Senator David Cullinane, the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation agreed to appoint Senator Cullinane as a rapporteur for the Committee in the preparation of a report on the development of a strategy for the economic development of the South East. The Joint Committee agreed that Senator Cullinane would examine the issue in detail by seeking the views of the relevant organisations and individuals in the region with a view to identifying realistic policy recommendations which could contribute towards reducing the jobs crisis in the South East which has suffered disproportionately from unemployment over the years. The strategy set out in this report is intended to complement the Southeast Region Employment Action Plan published by Forfás.In the course of the preparation of this report, Senator Cullinane, over a number of months, met with a wide range of key organisations and individuals throughout the region to elicit their views. In addition, the Joint Committee held a day of hearings on the topic to which identified groups and individuals were invited to make oral presentations. All written submissions, opening statements and presentations received and the transcript of the public meeting of the Joint Committee on 18 June this year at which the various organisations and individuals gave evidence can be electronically accessed on the Committees website at http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/oireachtasbusiness/committees_list/jobsenterpriseandinnovation/reports/Senator Cullinane brought a draft report to the Joint Committee on 2 July and it was agreed that a Steering Group of its Members would consider the report. Following consideration by the Steering Group a revised version of the draft report was submitted for the consideration of the full Joint Committee. The draft report was finally agreed by the Committee at its meeting of 23 July 2013 and adopted as a Committee report.On behalf of the Joint Committee, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Senator Cullinane for all the detailed work done in producing the draft report, to the Steering Group for its

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input, to the Oireachtas Library and Research Service and the staff of the Committee Secretariat for the excellent research, analytical and administrative support throughout and to the organisations and individuals who came before the Joint Committee to give evidence as well as the organisations and individuals who submitted written submissions. The Joint Committee gained valuable insights from all those who had an input into the preparation of the report.The Joint Committee for its part, is fully committed in close consultation with the relevant

Ministers, Departments, State Agencies and stakeholders to monitoring the progress being made

on the on-going implementation of the recommendations contained in this report as well as other

policy initiatives.

__________________Damien English, T.D.,Chairman,Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation,September 2013.

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Rapporteur’s Introduction (Senator David Cullinane)

I would like to acknowledge and thank the members of the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for their support and input into the preparation of this report. Examining the factors at play in the Southeast, the particular circumstances, the appropriate responses to it, and the lessons learned will provide a useful blueprint for tackling unemployment throughout the rest of the country.

I sincerely thank the many groups, organisations and individuals who engaged with the consultation process. Their advice, input and proposals were invaluable and are reflected in the substance of the report. The conclusions of the report draw on the consultations held in Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, South Tipperary and Wexford. It is hoped that this strategy will build on the work of the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Southeast Action Plan published by Forfás and the Regional Forum established under the direction of the Minister.

I am hugely optimistic about the social and economic future of the Southeast. The region faces many challenges including high unemployment, low educational attainment levels and social disadvantage. However, the region has many strengths including an improved road infrastructure, water and waste water treatment plants, the Rosslare and Waterford Ports and the Institutes of Technology. The region is well placed in the areas of Health, Life Sciences & Medical Devices, Financial & Internationally Traded Services, Tourism, Culture & the Arts, Agri-Business, Food Production & Technology, Engineering, Mobile Technologies, Software Development & Digital Media and Bio-technology & the Green Economy.

We need a joining up of local and national policy. National decision-making must reflect the reality and the needs of the Southeast. The priority for the region and for Government must be to exploit the strengths and address the weaknesses. In my view this is best achieved through the implementation of this ten-year Economic Development Strategy.

This should be driven by a Southeast Economic Development Forum that improves the effectiveness of the existing Southeast Forum and that brings together representatives of the key stakeholders, with clear lines of work through sub-committee structures and with a main body to oversee and monitor implementation of a regional strategy.

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With the right policies, a coherent regional approach and a focus on the key strengths of the region I have no doubt that the Southeast can and will develop socially and economically and create the necessary jobs. We must foster a spirit of doing it for ourselves, support creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship and allow the region to flourish and grow.

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1 Executive Summary

1.1 Introduction and rationale for the report

This Action Plan arises from the Joint Committee on Jobs Enterprise and Innovation, whose members agreed in October 2012 that the unemployment crisis in the Southeast Region merits particular attention. The Southeast region consists of Wexford, Waterford City and County, Carlow, South Tipperary and Kilkenny.

The objective of the report is to identify the economic needs of the Southeast. While geographic inequalities in the economy are recognised by the State; there is a continued prioritisation of the urban centres. It is critical that Government policy recognises regional disparities, addresses geographical inequalities and drives balanced regional development.

The Committee appointed Special Rapporteur, Senator David Cullinane, who originally raised the issue of the region’s disproportionately high level of unemployment, with the task of drafting a document to consider what steps can be taken to improve the employment situation, examining the region’s particular circumstances and making specific proposals to create jobs and grow the regional economy.

Stakeholder consultation meetings were held in each of the five counties. The Joint Committee invited key witnesses from the region to a special sitting of the committee to discuss specific solutions and interventions necessary to help grow the regional economy.

The report is divided into five chapters, an executive summary, a profile of the Southeast, key development areas, key sectors identified as growth areas in the region and an appendix.

This report notes the excellent research undertaken previously by Forfás, which produced the Southeast Region Employment Action Plan. It is also intended to complement the work of Minister Richard Bruton’s Southeast Forum.

The work undertaken by Forfás is unnecessary to replicate. This report placed a particular emphasis on adding to the sum of research that already exists by consulting directly with the widest possible range of stakeholders in the region.

Meetings were held with concerned organisations and individuals across the region and numerous written submissions were received. This input has been invaluable in providing a clear picture of the challenges and opportunities that exist in the Southeast and inform the short, medium, and long-term proposals that form the basis of this Economic Development Strategy.

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The findings of the consultations have led to a number of recommendations. A list of key recommendations is given in the Executive Summary and expanded upon in the document. These involve policy support at local, regional and national level and varying levels of State investment in both the short and long term. The report urges action on all fronts and a cohesive regional response.

The main recommendation is to support and implement this ten-year Economic Development Strategy for the Southeast Region, which includes a menu of clear recommendations on what actions and resources are necessary to create employment in the Southeast, and to outline the sectors in which jobs can be created in the region as a whole and in specific counties.

The role of Central, Regional and Local Government is a vital cog in the economic development of the Southeast region. To best position the region to take advantage of its strengths and address its weaknesses, a suite of inter-agency interventions is necessary in both the short, medium and long term.

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1.2 Key Facts

The Southeast region comprises of Waterford City and County, Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny and South Tipperary.

The population of the region is over 497,300 or 13.5% of the State. Between 2006-2011 the population of the Southeast grew by 7.9%1. The population of the principal urban centres in the region are 51,203 for Waterford City &

Environs, 23,561 for Kilkenny City & Environs, 22,328 for Carlow Town & Environs, 19,918 for Wexford Town & Environs, 17,564 for Clonmel & Environs and 9,427 for Dungarvan & Environs2.

The recent figures for unemployment in the Southeast (Q1 2013) published by the CSO in the Quarterly National Household Survey highlight that while at national level the unemployment figure was 13.7%, the figure for the Southeast was 18.4%3.

The unemployment figures for the region’s Gateway City of Waterford from Census 2011 are 25.08%.

The most recently available report on the Gateway Development Index4 (GDI) published in May 2013 shows that the overall GDI score for Waterford Gateway was 4.7 out of 9 (Compared to 4.5 in 2009), one of the lowest of the established cities.

The most recent ‘indices of GVA per person’5 available from the CSO for 2009 show that each of the regions that are prospering have a strong urban Gateway e.g. South West 122.7, Mid-West 84.7 and the West 72.9. In contrast the Indices of GVA per person for the Southeast is 68.3.

Younger age cohorts have been affected by employment declines to a higher extent in the Southeast6.

In Q1 2011, those with below third level educational attainment accounted for 85% of unemployment in the Southeast compared to 78% in the State7.

Those aged under 35 account for 51% of total unemployment while representing only 38% of the Labour Force in the region.

1 CSO, Census of Population 20112 CSO, Census of Population 20113 CSO (2013) Quarterly National Household Survey Q3 20134 Gateways | Hubs Development Index 2012 A Review of Socio-Economic Performance5 CSO (2012) County Incomes and Regional GDP 20096 Forfás South East Region Employment Action Plan7 Forfás South East Region Employment Action Plan

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1.3 A vision for the Southeast

For the Southeast to succeed in generating economic growth and creating employment, a sense of shared purpose to create real regional cohesion is a prerequisite. This will involve inter-county and inter-agency collaboration to eliminate needless layers of bureaucracy and deliver effective change.

The proposed ten-year Economic Development Strategy allows time for new structures to bed in and facilitates long-term planning in terms of R&D, allocation of resources and industry development that is necessary to achieve sustainable economic expansion.

The Southeast needs to focus on its key strengths in tourism, agri-business and food production, developing a critical mass of expertise through improved educational attainment, delivery of a Technological University and strong research and development.

The region must maximise the potential of existing key assets such as the two ports of national significance (Rosslare and Waterford), the regional airport and improvements to the road and rail network.

10 Key priorities for the Southeast:

Implementation of a long term Economic Development Strategy for the Southeast that supports a new model for the region based on sustainability, meeting the needs of enterprise, an alignment of national, regional and county objectives underpinned by the needs of the community.

The establishment of a southeast regional office and a southeast regional director of the IDA based in Waterford City.

To ensure that the Southeast has at least the same IDA Investment Aid as the BMW region as part of the Regional Aid Guidelines for 2014 – 2020.

The establishment of a Technological University in the region and the building of competitive advantage through a strong research and development hub and support for innovation and creativity.

A strategy to improve educational attainment and skills provision in the region. The development of a regional Transport Hub that aligns road, rail and port infrastructure,

maximises use of both ports (Rosslare and Waterford), ensures completion of the Enniscorthy and New Ross Bypass and improvements to the N24 to greatly improve the Limerick to Waterford road corridor.

Investment in the roll-out of Dark Fibre Network (Broadband) in the region. Investment in the regional Airport to allow for expansion of the runway and the opening of

opportunities to access new markets and supporting growth in tourism.

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Supporting tourism as a key driver of economic growth through a coordinated and integrated regional strategy and the development of a strategic tourism vision.

The Development of the Southeast as a world leader in Food including production, processing, ingredients and technology. This should involve maximising the potential of Harvest 2020 and the abolition of the milk quota in 2015.

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1.4 Key Actions and Interventions

Education, Training and Development:

Key Proposals:

Designation of Waterford and Carlow Institutes as a Technological University of the Southeast. Ensure a Technological University is embedded in the social, cultural and economic needs of

the Southeast. Incorporate Higher Education Institutions into a regional strategy to ensure a matching of

education provision with industry needs, allowing policy to guide and support regional development and to ensure actions taken at national, regional and HEI level support each other.

A Technological University must deliver new engagement models bringing together education at all levels, technology, research, business and entrepreneurship producing industry-ready graduates and new innovation models that drive the economic development of the region.

A holistic and integrated regional strategy to improve educational attainment through increased focus in lifelong learning, up-skilling and greater flexibility in course delivery.

The development of a specific Labour Market Activation Programme for those with literacy and numeracy needs.

The integration of literacy and numeracy into all publically funded education and training programmes.

Create greater connections and collaboration across all training and education programmes and providers.

Create greater awareness of skills development and learning opportunities in the region through local information campaigns, open days and exhibitions.

Create greater opportunities for engagement with employers in the important areas of training, re-skilling and up-skilling.

Local and other actions:

The development of a pilot strategy in the region to ensure a greater emphasis on Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in secondary schools through competitions and enterprise modules.

Establish models of best practice in activation measures on providing career advice and ‘progression pathways’ for the unemployed and on up-skilling with accredited qualifications and by documenting and sharing best practice.

Identify gaps in further education course provision across the region to serve the needs of local employers.

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Change the rules and regulations surrounding Further Education and Training Awards Council (FETAC) courses which prevent participants taking courses with a lower or equal rating than the last one they completed, which inhibits people from changing career paths and reskilling.

The establishment of Waterford City as a National Centre of Excellence for Crystal Production with the development of a Crystal Making Apprenticeship Scheme through a partnership between the House of Waterford Crystal and Waterford Institute of Technology.

Support greater linkages between second and third level education drawing on the success of the Calmast Programme at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT).

The development of a second level schools programme focused on developing social enterprise projects and link to the existing School Enterprise Programme.

Infrastructural development

Key Proposals:

The development of a regional Transport Hub that aligns road, rail and port infrastructure, maximises use of both ports (Rosslare and Waterford), ensures completion of the Enniscorthy and New Ross Bypass and improvements to the N24 to greatly improve the Limerick to Waterford road corridor.

The development of key strategic sites such as Belview in South Kilkenny and Knockhouse in Waterford.

Invest in the roll-out of Dark Fibre Network (broadband) in the region and the introduction of a pilot scheme that provides State financial support in key towns in each of the counties in the region.

The creation of an Independent Port Authority for Rosslare Europort with a mandate to develop the range and business activity at the Port.

Funding to be provided to Waterford Regional Airport for necessary development works and expansion and extension of the runway.

The carrying out of a cost benefit analysis of all infrastructural spend including the methods used to fund projects.


A strategic review of rail access to Rosslare Europort to allow the port reach its full potential. Deepen a berth at Rosslare Europort from 7 metres to 9 metres, where feasible, in accordance

with the Habitats Directive, to allow the port realise its potential as a strategic asset supporting regional exports and tourism.

To explore the feasibility of the deepening of the Port of Waterford and exploit its commercial potential as a load-on load-off Port.

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Support the extension of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) to service Industrial Development Authority (IDA) Belview lands, providing appropriate broadband requirements allowing for enterprise development and expansion at the site.

The development of Dunmore East Harbour and Port, Kilmore Quay and Helvick Harbour to support the fishing industry and expansion of the tourist industry including the need to provide the necessary funding to dredge the harbour at Dunmore East.

The retention of the Limerick/Waterford Rail Line and the carrying out of a re-evaluation of the Waterford to Rosslare line.

Ensure provision of accessible and affordable childcare in the region to support employment.

Fostering FDI growth

Key Proposals:

Regional targets to be set for the IDA in attracting Industry and creating jobs in the region. The establishment of a Southeast Regional Office and a Southeast Regional Director of the IDA

based in Waterford City. The IDA to secure provision of new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and high value jobs to the

region through increased site visits, marketing, branding and enabling clustering of industries. The IDA, in partnership with local authorities, to bring forward plans to develop suitable sites

and property solutions to support the development of key sectors such as Agri-business, ICT, Life-sciences and Internationally traded services.

The development of High Level CEO Groups across all key sectors in the region. To ensure that the Southeast has at least the same IDA Investment Aid as the BMW region as

part of the Regional Aid Guidelines for 2014 – 2020.

Developing an Enterprise Environment

Key Proposals

The development of a Marketing Programme for Waterford and Rosslare Ports. The assistance of National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) to facilitate the development of

town and city centres in the region where possible, such as the Michael Street area in Waterford City and the carrying out of an audit of NAMA stock with a view to maximising potential of NAMA assets in the region.

To evaluate the South Tipperary County Hub Data and consider its rolling out throughout the region.

Supporting expanding the role of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to include businesses with more than 10 employees and to take in tourism and food enterprises in line with regional enterprise strategies.

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Development of a regional strategy aimed at getting more women into business, particularly helping them through the early stages of start-up.

Supporting the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Sector

Key Proposals:

A government initiative to prioritise job retention through a job retention fund. A region-specific target for bank lending to SMEs. An urgent review of commercial rates to rebalance the burden between large multinationals

and small and medium sized businesses. Provision of greater soft supports for new micro start-ups including the introduction of start-

up vouchers on a pilot basis in the region. Open up State procurement to small companies by breaking down contracts. Examine the use of tax credits for multinational corporations which source locally produced

materials as opposed to importing to increase spin out opportunities in the SME sector in the region, subject to European state aid conditions.

The continued support of the Import X initiative of the Enterprise Boards of the Southeast which help substitute domestic goods or services for imported ones.


Prioritise the review of the prompt payments legislation as called for by Irish Small and Medium Enterprises (ISME).

Develop a regional strategy to support retention of local retailers including the enhancement of local retail infrastructure, to prevent the drainage of local small and medium retail business to big superstores in city and town centres.

The introduction of a PLATO type programme for the region to foster greater networking between larger parent companies and the SME sector.

Agri-Business, Fishing, Food Production and Technology

Key Proposals:

The development of a strategy to position the Southeast to take advantage of targets envisaged in Harvest 2020 with an emphasis on milk expansion, beef expansion, Food SME expansion and increased direct labour opportunities.

The development of a regional High Level CEO group in the food Sector working collaboratively with the new Socio Economic Committees in the region and providing cutting edge advice on future development and clustering.

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The development of a plan to position the Southeast as a world leader in food production, technology and research through strong academic Research and Development and Industry support.

The Southeast Economic Development Forum should develop a comprehensive Sustainable and Eco-friendly Fishing Strategy for the Southeast.


The development of a Science Group (Department of Agriculture, Department of the Environment, Local Authorities, Teagasc, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water catchment region, Irish Water and Waterford and Carlow Institutes) to ensure full compliance with the Water Framework Directive and to ensure good water quality in groundwater, surface water or in estuaries to facilitate expansion of herds.

Ensure the maintenance of the Nitrates Directive derogation to facilitate meeting Harvest 2020 targets.

The development of the agri-food sector, including the establishment of a forum of all supermarket suppliers and members of each producer organisation to negotiate a fair trading regime of suppliers and with a view to increasing the use of local produce.

Support for artisan and local food producers through designated traders, markets and festivals and linkages with tourism and promoting the region as a Food Travel destination.

Tourism, Culture and the Arts

Key Proposals

The development of a strategic tourism vision, an holistic package and marketing brand for the region with continued support for the Viking Triangle in Waterford, the medieval mile in Kilkenny, and the significant heritage sites in Wexford, South Tipperary and Carlow.

To develop a coordinated approach to supporting the cultural and tourist sector in the region with an emphasis on heritage, eco-tourism and festivals.

To consider the development of Southeast Tourism based on the Kilkenny Tourism model and/or Destination Waterford which ensures maximum collaboration between tourist and service providers with an emphasis on customer service. This must also involve recognising and measuring the economic value of festivals and tourism generally.

To develop Eco-tourism in the region and specifically the opening and operation of the world class Mount Congreve gardens as a major tourist attraction.

The establishment of a Pilot ‘Streetscape fund’ to assist in the regeneration of towns and cities in the region.

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Develop a regional strategy to ensure a business dividend for the hotels, restaurants, shops and public houses from the tourist industry with a key emphasis on improving the streetscape and public realm in town and city centres.

The development of an online marketing strategy to promote the Southeast through innovative uses of new technologies such as web-based video material, social media and using local champions and ambassadors to sell the message.

Local authorities to provide adequate bus parking at key attraction points in the region. Continued support for festivals in the region such as SPRAOI, Food Festivals, Cat Laughs,

Wexford Opera, Winterval and others. Local authorities, tourist providers and venue operators to look at increasing the amount of

‘gigs’ and concerts in the region.

Health, Life Sciences and Medical Devices

Key Proposals

The establishment of a regional high level CEO Medical Devices group working collaboratively with the local Socio Economic Committees, to develop mutual supportive policies and actions and greater clustering in this area and a use of the FUSE initiative to encourage greater collaboration in the sector.

A strategy to assist companies in the life sciences sector in dealing with such challenges as expiry of patents, the costs of Research and Development, global over-capacity in some areas and greater competition from Asia and the Far East.

Local authorities in the region through the SECs to provide supports to companies in the sector in areas such as good manufacturing practice (GMP), lean manufacturing and green initiatives.


Support companies engaged in pipelining new products and new drug formulations. Support stronger linkages between third level institutes and enterprises in this sector such as

the Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC), Carlow Institute of Technologies Industrial Design and Product Development Innovation Centre, Southeastern Applied Materials Research Centre (SEAM) and the Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre (Shannon ABC).

A future Technological University of the Southeast to have a clear focus on training, up-skilling and meeting the graduate needs of the sector.

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Financial and Internationally Traded ServicesKey Proposals:

Development of a Regional High Level CEO Group in the sector, led by the financial services sector and supported by the IDA and local authorities through the Socio Economic Committees.

The High Level Group to identify the segments of the financial services sector, including newly emerging sectors, which the region can best target.

The continued roll-out of next generation broadband to ensure that suitably identified sites have access to advanced, high quality and competitively priced broadband infrastructure as identified in the Forfás Report.

The region to build on its sizeable portfolio of international financial services companies as a basis for further growth.


The local authorities in the region to build and maintain a skills register and develop a database of available and suitable property solutions (land, buildings and office premises) in the region.

Strengthen relationships and linkages between industry and enterprises in this sector and the existing third level institutes to ensure suitable course development and a steady supply of appropriately skilled graduates.

The carrying out of a regional skills deficit audit in this sector to identify skills shortages such as languages and multi-lingual activity and the development of appropriate responses through collaborative initiatives between industry and the education sector.

Bio Technology and the Green Economy

Key Proposals:

Develop a green economic strategy for the Southeast region, to explore enterprise opportunities in green services, renewable energy and clean-tech industries.

Support the development of a regional renewable energy cluster policy to make recommendations on the requirements of third and fourth level institutes, research and development agencies and infrastructural requirements.

Develop a regional branding and strategy and market the Southeast as a Green Economy region with support from Government Departments and relevant agencies.

An inter-agency approach in identifying and developing key green and clean-tech reference sites in the region.

Support the revival of the sugar beet industry and the construction a new bio-refinery plant in the Southeast which has the potential to create 5,000 jobs.

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Local and other actions: Programmes should be put in place through local authorities to train advise individuals and

groups in starting up sustainable energy companies. An investment in wind power industry and wave energy to take advantage of the regions

geographical strengths. Further development of the strategic water resources in the region recognising that an

abundant supply of water and waste water treatment is hugely important into the future. Escalate regeneration projects in the region with a focus on retrofitting of local authority stock.

Creative Industries and the ICT sector

Key Proposals

A strategy for the creative and cultural sector which would complement the broader plans for developing R&D activity, new business start-ups and entrepreneurship arising out of the third level sector.

The development of a creative industries plan supported by Enterprise Ireland, the Business and Innovation Centre, County and City Enterprise Boards and the third level sector in the region.

Such a plan would include specific targets for growing employment in key sectors such as digital media, gaming, mobile technologies and ICT in health care, agri-business and eco-innovation well as goals for new business start-ups, expansion of existing business and aid to early stage entrepreneurs.

A regional plan aimed at getting businesses online by matching local businesses with local web designers to develop sophisticated online business presences that move beyond a static website to ones that are interactive with potential customers, allowing feedback and promotion using social media and other online marketing tools.

Local and other actions

Targets set to bring more creative clusters to the Southeast allowing entrepreneurs to share the costs of office space as well as creating a communal creative environment.

An audit of the wider creative and cultural sector in the Southeast to quantify current activity, the net contribution to the region, employment levels, as well as the potential of the various elements of this sector to expand.

A regional focus on the Enterprise Ireland (EI) Competitive Start Fund, targeting new local enterprises to apply for this funding and business aid.

A bridging of potential skills gaps in the creative sector at both undergraduate and post graduate levels.

Social Economy and Economic Self Reliance

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Key Proposals:

The development of a pilot ‘Programme for Economic Self Reliance’ in the region whose aim would be to create ten jobs in every community and a regional network of micro-economies.

The Southeast Economic Development Forum should establish a sub group tasked with mobilising and co-ordinating the resources available, pilot a variety of enterprise projects across the five counties for replication across the region, remove barriers to progress, establish a culture of shared learning and of best practice and foster linkages with third level institutes and the sector.

The Southeast Economic Development Forum should actively support the development of the co-operative sector in the region by publishing a five-step simple plan to establishing a co-op, running information campaigns on co-ops and monitoring current State employment and jobs agencies to encourage the co-op model; as well as assisting in the establishment of co-ops through advice and networking.

Local Authorities in the region should work to make vacant IDA, Údarás na Gaeltachta and other public facilities available for co-op use and also consider assigning vacant NAMA properties where suitable, to save co-ops rental and purchasing costs.

The holding of information sessions in each county in the region to build awareness of the social economy and social enterprises.

The development of a pilot Social Enterprise Business Training Programme for community groups in the region.

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1.5 Structure and Implementation

This document clearly sets out a vision for the region and its short, medium and long-term priorities. To drive this plan, strategic leadership is required, and that direction can be provided by improving and streamlining the work of the existing Southeast Forum. The existing structure should be renamed to become the Southeast Economic Development Forum.

This forum would seek to improve the effectiveness of the current Southeast Forum and be led by the Departments of Education and Skills; Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Environment, Community and Local Government; and Social Protection in partnership with local government. It would drive and implement an integrated regional strategy, although all government departments would input the forum’s work as required.

The Forum should be chaired, on a rotational basis, by Assistant Secretaries from the Departments of Education and Skills; Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; Environment, Community and Local Government and a senior regional Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanunaigh agus Scileanna (SOLAS) representative through the Department of Social Protection.

The proposed forum would take in senior representatives from the IDA and Enterprise Ireland, the Institutes of Technology, and City and County Managers and local government more generally.

In order to prevent the forum from becoming unwieldy, which is an identified problem with the existing Southeast Forum, sub-groups with specific areas of responsibility would report to and engage with the forum through their senior representatives.

The setting of targets, implementation of an overall economic development strategy and the assigning of lead authorities to implement clear actions and goals should be the primary responsibility of the proposed Southeast Economic Development Forum.

Proposals on structure and implementation of SEEDS:

The implementation of a ten year Economic Development Strategy for the Southeast. Improving the effectiveness of the existing Southeast Forum through a more focused and

streamlined Southeast Economic Development Forum that brings together representatives of key departments and agencies as required.

The main purpose of the Forum should be to monitor implementation of the 10 year regional strategy and its chairing could be rotated by senior officials in each department and other agencies on an annual basis.

The Southeast Economic Development Forum to become a structured body, with sub-groups with clear work streams and responsibility beneath the main body.

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Align the services, policies and plans of all agencies and service-providers to such a strategy and a joining of national, regional and local policy.

Regional and sub-regional job creation targets to be set for Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and other Enterprise Support Agencies.

Build on the strengths of the region and support economic development in key target areas such as:-

o Agri-business, Food Production and Technology;o Tourism, Arts and Culture;o Health, Life Sciences and Medical Devices;o Financial and Internationally Traded Services;o Mobile Technologies, Software Development and Digital Media;o Bio Technology and the Green Economy.

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2. Profile of the Southeast – Strengths and Weaknesses

The Southeast Regional area comprises the following units of primary local government: Waterford City Council, Waterford County Council, Wexford County Council, Kilkenny County Council, South Tipperary County Council and Carlow County Council - equating to the five counties of Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford and the city of Waterford.

The region covers an area of some 9,406 sq. kms, or about 13.5% of the area of the State. The ‘Putting People First’ Document on local government reform envisages local authority amalgamations in Waterford and South Tipperary.

The strengths, weaknesses and potential of the Southeast have been analysed by State agencies and by consultants in these reports:

Some of the recommendations in this report are similar to recommendations contained in the following reports:

Forfás. Southeast Region Employment Action Plan: Spotlight on the Southeast, December 2011.8

Forfás. Regional Competitiveness Agenda: Volume I : Baseline Data and Analysis : South-East Region,n.d.. An overview of the region based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative indicators across a range of competitiveness factors.

Forfás. Regional Competitive Agenda. Volume 2-Realising Potential. Southeast.9

Final report: Regional Competitiveness Agendas: Overview, Findings and Actions, January 2010.10

This report also highlights findings arising from analysis of all regions, differentiating factors for the regions, and priorities for regional enterprise development.

DKM Economic Consultants. An Economic Profile of Carlow, February 2009. Unpublished report commissioned by Co. Carlow local authority.

O'Neill,Julie/Wexford County Council. Positioning Wexford for the Upturn: Towards Sustainable Growth and Development, 2010. 11

A summary comparing Southeast key data with the State average is featured in Regional Competitiveness Agendas: Overview, Findings and Actions, 2010:

8 Accessed at: http://www.forfas.ie/media/021211-South_East_Action_Plan_Publication.pdf9 Accessed at: http://www.sera.ie/media/forfas-Regional-Competitiveness-Agendas-Southeast%20vol%20II.pdf10 Accessed at: http://www.forfas.ie/media/forfas100121-Regional-Competitiveness-Agendas-Overview.pdf and http://www.sera.ie/publications/index.html11 http://www.wexford.ie/wex/Departments/CommunityEnterprise/Downloads/Thefile,15300,en.pdf

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http://www.carlow.ie/

http://www.southtippcoco.ie/

http://www.kilkennycoco.ie/

http://www.kilkennycoco.ie/

http://www.wexford.ie/

http://www.waterfordcoco.ie/

http://www.waterfordcity.ie/


The Southeast region:

The designated regional gateway, Waterford City (51,203), is about double the size in population of the region’s second largest urban center, Kilkenny City (23,561), and just under three times the size of Wexford Town (19,918).

The most recent Forfás study into the region found that Waterford City has underperformed as a Gateway with the city exerting a limited influence within the region in terms of its relative scale, physical extent and labour force catchment.

Overall population in the region has grown over the period 2002 to 2011 by 17.4%.

Regional ProfileArea of Region 9,406sq.kms.Area as % of State 13.5%Population 2006 2011State 4,239,848 4,581,269South-East Region 460,838 497,578As a % of State Population 10.9% 13.5%Proportion Urban Population 44.2% 45.4%Proportion Rural Population 55.8% 54.6%Population Density 49p/p/sq.Km. 53p/p/sq.km.Population Change 2006-2011 +36,467% Increase in Population 2006-2011 +8%

Labour Force and Employment (Southeast region)– Q1/2013

In Labour ForceIn EmploymentUnemployedUnemployment Rate (State 13.7%)Participation Rate (State 59.5%)

GVA Per Capita (State = 100) GVA Produced by:12

Agriculture, Forestry & FishingManufacturing, Building & ConstructionMarket & Non-Market Services

Disposable Income Per Capita (State=100)

Tourism (2009)

228,600186,500

42,00018.4%58.3%

68.3%

3.4%34.8%61.8%

92.9%

12 Q3, 2012 National Household Quarterly Survey

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Total no. of TouristsDomestic TouristsOverseas TouristsTotal Tourism RevenueRevenue from Overseas TourismRevenue from Domestic Tourism

1,778,0001,100,000

678,000€402m€226m €176m

The Southeast has a heavy dependence on Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing, and Industry. However during the most recent economic downturn the region has seen a significant drop in construction and manufacturing. The region is performing well in areas such as Life Sciences, Medical Devices, Finance and Internationally Traded Services and Engineering.

Waterford City and the five counties of the Southeast have a lower level of educational attainment than the national average. The unemployment rate in the Southeast region in the second quarter of 2012 stood at 18.7% of the labour force, compared to the State-wide average of 14.7%.

Table 1. Summary of key data-2008/2009

Source: Regional Competitiveness Agendas: Overview, Findings and Actions, 2010.

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The table above indicates that unemployment in the Southeast is higher than the State average, that Gross Value Added (productivity) per worker and per person are lower than the State average, that educational attainment at third level is lower than the State average, that Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) and Business Expenditure R&D (BERD) comprise a small fraction of the State total.

Table 2. Gross Value Added by sector and region, 2010

Table 2 indicates that the Southeast is the region with the second-highest GVA in agriculture and the third-lowest in industry.

Table 3. Employment by broad economic sector and region, 2012

Table 3 indicates that Agriculture and manufacturing in the Southeast comprise a higher proportion of employment than the State average, but is the region with the lowest employment in the Services sector.

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The Southeast (22.7%) had the second-highest highest percentage of persons employed in Industry while Dublin (11%) had the lowest.

Nationally just 4.7% were employed in Agriculture whereas the regions with the joint-highest proportions were the Border (9.4%) and Southeast (9.4%).

In 2012, while over three-quarters (77.2%) of persons in the State were employed in services, the Southeast had the lowest proportion (67.9%) employed in this sector.

Industrial strengths of the Southeast Region

Agency-supported sectors that experienced the most significant growth in the region overthe last decade included:

• Pharmachem• Medical technologies • ICT services industries

These growth sectors are dominated by foreign-owned firms.13

At Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), the Telecommunications, Software and Systems Group is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for ICT research & innovation which engages with over 340 organisations globally.

Also at WIT, the Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre is an applied research centre aiming to support growth of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry in the region. Its State-of-the-art facility allows companies embed R&D into their activities. It has links with national and international partners in industry, academia and medical care.

Also at WIT, the Southeast Applied Materials (SEAM) Research Centre is an industry focused applied research centre providing innovative materials engineering solutions for companies from a wide range of sectors, including bio-medical devices, pharmaceuticals, micro-electronics, precision engineering and industrial technologies.

As referenced in the Regional Competitiveness Agenda report of January 2010:

“The small portion of the total R&D spend in the higher education sector (HERD) underlines the importance of establishing linkages and networks, including with relevant HEIs and research institutes beyond the region (nationally and internationally). Significant

13 Source::Regional Competitiveness Agendas: Overview, Findings and Actions,2010.

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developments such as the awarding of an SFI Strategic Research Cluster to WIT/Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) (the first of the ITs to establish such a cluster) represent a key step in enhancing one aspect of research and innovative capacity within the region.”14

Current employment situation in the Southeast

Recent statistics indicate that the Southeast region has the highest regional unemployment rate. The main unemployment statistics are from the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS).

By Q1 of 2013, the Southeast region had the highest regional unemployment rate—18.4%. This compares to a rate of 13.7% in the State as a whole.

Table 4. Labour Force and Employment in the Southeast- Q1/2013

In Labour Force 228,600In Employment 186,500Unemployed 42,000

Unemployment Rate (State 13.7%) 18.4%Participation Rate (State 59.5%) 58.3%

Source:http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/labourmarket/2012/qnhs_q42012.pdf.

In 2007, before the financial crisis, the Southeast was the region with the third-highest employment rate. By 2012 the highest unemployment rate (19%) was in the Southeast region compared to the State average of 15%. The highest unemployment rate formen was 22.6% in the Southeast region.

The 2011 Forfás report notes that in terms of overall economic performance, the region is underperforming. The Southeast contributes 8.2% to GVA overall compared with it’s almost 11% of the population. This underpins the need for a national and regional focus on economic development and enterprise support.

14 Regional Competitiveness Agendas: Overview, Findings and Actions,.January 2010

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3 Key Areas

3.1 Education, Training and Development

A recurring theme across the consultation meetings that inform this document is the vital role of education in building the economy and creating employment opportunities.

The Southeast has a significantly lower percentage of students reaching third level than other regions. In Q1 2011, those with below third level educational attainment accounted for 85% of unemployment in the Southeast compared to 78% in the State.

It is vital that a suite of interventions by all educational sectors, national and local Government and relevant stage agencies is put in place to improve educational attainment levels in the region. This must be a key priority for the region.

Skills Availability—Third-Level Students in the SoutheastThere are three third level colleges in the Southeast region with a student population of over 15,000 and over 4,000 graduates annually. The academic institutes supply graduates from Diploma to PhD level and work closely with industry in the region.15

Of importance will be the role of third level educational providers in the region in producing graduates with enterprise focused skills, oriented towards sectors which are growing or have strong potential to grow within the region.

“The small portion of the total R&D spend in the higher education sector (HERD)underlines the importance of establishing linkages and networks, including with relevant HEIs and research institutes beyond the region (nationally and internationally). Significant developments such as the awarding of an SFI Strategic Research Cluster to WIT/TSSG (the first of the ITs to establish such a cluster) represent a key step in enhancing one aspect of research and innovative capacity within the region.”16

Waterford Institute of TechnologyWaterford Institute of Technology (WIT) is a third-level institution in the Southeast with almost 10,000 students and 1000 staff. It is recognised as one of the top performing institutes in the State.

15 http://www.idaireland.com/connect-and-invest/waterford/#/connect-and-invest/waterford/business-in-waterford/homegrown-businesses/

16 Regional Competitiveness Agendas: Overview, Findings and Actions,.January 2010

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In the academic year 2010/11 10,061 students were registered at Waterford Institute of Technology. Of these 7,581 were full time and the other 2,480 were part time.

Table 5. Full and Part Time Student Enrolments for Academic Year 2010/11

Type Full Time Part Time TotalUndergraduate 6,308 1,170 7,478Postgraduate 409 357 766Exchange / Visiting students 226 - 226Other students (Apprentices / Professional development, etc.) 638 953 1,591Total 7,581 2,480 10,061Source: WIT. At http://www.wit.ie/about_wit/at_a_glance/about_wit2

By 2012/13 these numbers had fallen slightly.

Table 6.Waterford Institute of Technology Profile 2012/13Type Full Time Part Time Total

Undergraduate 6467 929 7396 Diploma/Cert 400 299 699 Ordinary Degree (L7) 2032 208 2240 Honours Degree (L8) 3900 112 4012 Occasional 135 310 445Postgraduate 483 477 960 Diploma/Cert 113 82 195 Masters Taught (L9) 254 356 610 Masters Research (L9) 63 22 85 PhD (L10) 53 17 70Other Enrolments 253 862 1115 Foundation 65 0 65 FETAC Adv Cert 56 133 189 Exchange/Visiting students 132 0 132 Occasional 0 729 729Total Enrolments 7203 2268 9471Source: WIT Student count based on Snapshot taken 1st March 2013.

Institute of Technology Carlow (ITC)ITC has a current student population of 5,649. ITC has a diverse portfolio of over 60 taught programmes to Level 9 (Masters) on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), a growing research portfolio to Doctoral level (Level 10 NFQ) in Sciences and Technology, and an emerging research platform in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

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It has acted as a catalyst for the generation of over 25,000 graduates to date. On average over 80% of ITC graduates find their first employment in the counties of South Leinster(Carlow,Kilkenny, Wexford,Wicklow, Kildare, Laois) and Dublin.17

More than 70% of students studying for major awards are enrolled on Level 7 and Level 8 Bachelor Degree programmes.

Table 7. IT Carlow Undergraduate & Postgraduate StatisticsSchool 2009/10 2012/13School of Business &Humanities 1360 1791School of Engineering 727 526School of Science 696 974Wexford campus 469 505Postgraduate (Research) 38 24Apprentices 312 148Lifelong Learning 1193 1682Total 4795 5649

Source:ITC Institutional Review 2005 – 2010/Personal communication Carlow ITC.

LIT Tipperary (formerly Tipperary Institute)Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) Tipperary is a college of higher education, development agency and research centre in County Tipperary, which is one of the five constituent schools of Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). Tipperary Institute opened campuses in Thurles and Clonmel in 1999 and was merged with LIT in 2011.

It has two departments (Department, Business, Education & Social Science and Department, Technology, Media & Science), and four Schools (Art & Design,Built Environment, Business & Humanities, Science, Engineering, & IT).

University of the Southeast

The creation of a Technological University of the Southeast is a key requirement for the economic development and enhancement of the human capital capacity of the Southeast. A Technological University must conduct its activities as part of the global community supporting the flow of people, ideas and business into the Region. WIT and IT Carlow have formally affirmed their intention to apply jointly as a Technological University in accordance with the process set out by the Higher Education Authority and the Minister for Education and Skills.18

On the 30th May 2013 the Minister for Education and Skills Deputy Ruairi Quinn announced the formation of regional clusters between universities and institutes of technologies and that WIT

17 Strategic Plan for IT Carlow, 2009 -201318 The Need for an Open Innovation Model to drive economic development in the Southeast June 2013 presented by Willie Donnelly WIT to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

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and IT Carlow are to progress towards technological university status subject to meeting criteria as laid down by the Department.

The Southeast Region has a lower than average participation rate in higher education. Only 23% of the population have a higher education qualification against 36% in Dublin and 29% nationally. It also has a higher rate of unemployment (19%) than the national average (15%) and a higher rate of underemployment amongst under 25s than the national average.19

If more students are to have access to third level in the future, it is vital that the third-level institutions in the region are performing to their potential.

Several delegations in the consultation meetings highlighted the necessity to the region’s economic development of re-designating Waterford and Carlow Institutes of Technology as a multi-campus Technological University of the Southeast.

The Forfás report highlighted Waterford IT’s relative strength among ITs nationally in terms of enterprise-relevant skills development, research and linkages.

The re-designation of these ITs as a technological university will greatly enhance the attractiveness of the region for inward investment and the ability of the region to retain graduates.

Over 10,000 students attend WIT and a further 5,000 attend IT Carlow, which are actively involved in research and development (R&D) and have strong industry links.

Some 1,000 students attend the Wexford campus of IT Carlow. Wexford County Council pointed out that the region’s ability to retain graduates or attract them back is poor and needs to be improved. Big companies are struggling at higher graduate level to attract staff. Government investment in science and technology mostly goes to universities and the resultant high-potential start-ups stay near the universities.

Waterford City and County Councils point out that numerous reports published regarding the re-designation of WIT as a university have highlighted that this deficit in infrastructure impacts negatively on the region’s economy. This has affected the region’s ability to attract third level students and to retain them in the local economy and also the ability of WIT to attract R&D funding.

This technological university would have greater scope than exists at present under IT designation to deliver courses and R&D capacity that would attract targeted industries (eg. Bio pharm or ICT) and encourage graduates to remain in the region. The objective is to help develop clusters of similar type businesses across the region, assisted by linked-in university courses and R&D.

The Telecommunications Software & Systems Development Group (TSSG) at WIT is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for ICT research and innovation. Its head, Dr. Willie Donnelly, also established the ArcLabs Research & Innovation Centre in Carriganore to provide entrepreneurs and early-stage ventures with the support needed to achieve success in national and international markets.

19 ibid

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Dr. Donnelly, Dr. John Wells, Head of School of Health Sciences, Dr. Mícheál Ó hEagartaigh, School of Science, Computing Mathematics and Physics, and Declan Doyle, Head of Development at Carlow IT, all advocated the multi-campus university status solution.

Dr. Donnelly, for example, said that in order to attract Multinational Companies (MNCs) it is necessary to have a critical mass of relevant research available in proximity. MNCs usually arrive as manufacturing companies. What is vital is an increase of research capacity locally to encourage them to remain and potentially expand due to the intellectual value in the region.

Despite their success, however, ITs, unlike universities, have no baseline research funding and have to completely self-finance their research work, which makes it very difficult to plan long term.

A technological university needs to be focused and grounded in enterprise and embedded in the needs of the community. It would have the autonomy and the research funding to be able to plan to build partnerships and to make the necessary targeted investment to support a ten-year regional economic development plan.

A technological university must build on the strengths of the region and support economic development in key target areas such as Health, Life Sciences and Medical Devices, Financial and International Trading Services, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Agri-Business, Food Production and Technology, Engineering, Mobile Technologies, Software Development and Digital Media, and Bio Technology and the Green Economy.

Improving Educational Attainment

In the consultations, WIT’s Dr. Ó hEagartaigh spoke to changing the culture of the region and promoting innovation by building an industrial strategy that links business and third-level. He felt that this strategy should begin in the schools, raising the horizon of second-level students by encouraging young people to be ambitious and consider starting their own businesses.

To this end, a programme is needed in the region to encourage greater linking between second and third level, akin to the Calmast programme at WIT, which promotes science and engineering in schools and is working to develop the Southeast as a Science Region.

Calmast was established in 2003 at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) allowing Sheila Donegan and Eoin Gill to continue and develop the work they had been doing since the mid 1990s in promoting science and engineering. In that time they have reached hundreds of thousands of people with science supplements and publications and over 100,000 at events and activities. It is a model that can be expanded on in other areas.

If third-level development is vital, pre-development work for young, vulnerable, and disadvantaged people with low levels of educational attainment is equally significant. WIT has a strong track record in the support of vocational and labour-market oriented education at all levels. Addressing the needs of the unemployed is a critical requirement for the economic development and social renewal of the region.

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The Southeast region has more people without a Leaving Certificate level qualification than almost any other region in the country (with the exception of the Border), and one of the lowest levels of third level educational attainment in the country.

The high incidence of early school leaving in the region should be addressed through specific measures and strategies. Family learning can play a key role here, where parents who are targeted to learn themselves will be more likely to encourage their children to stay and complete their education. National Adult Literacy Association (NALA) has developed work in this area and has produced a number of resources to support parents to help their children learn.

The Southeast region must recognise the key role of the Further Education and Training (FET) Sector in economic development. A strong, sustainable FET sector has the potential to offer vocational and practical skills opportunities – to develop practical accreditation in an area, to reskill, and to offer alternative pathways to higher education. In an environment where educational attainment is low, the Further Education sector can provide an ideal stepping stone to a learner, with the potential of supporting them from a low skills level right up through the qualifications system.

VECs have already developed expertise in supporting adult learners and this will inform the delivery of Further Education and Training through the new Educational and Training Boards (ETBs). The establishment of ETBs provides a platform for a strengthened, more co-ordinated Further Education sector at local level and the potential for greater engagement, both with employers and the higher education sector as well as a better learning experience for adults in the area.

The State’s 33 Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) are due to be replaced this year by 16 Education and Training Boards.

Three new ETBs in Tipperary (formerly North and South), Co. Kilkenny/Carlow and Waterford/Wexford (including Waterford City and County) has the potential to improve education attainment and educational choice in the region.

Carlow College , run by the VEC, is the region’s biggest provider of further eduction courses outside Waterford, with over 800 students. This VEC was of the view that a revision of structures and of funding mechanisms would help drive its jobs agenda. At the moment there are significant bureaucratic barriers to effective delivery, including eligibility problems for people seeking to upskill or reskill.

Tipperary VEC said the organisation or its successor needs greater flexibility to respond to the needs of employers, unhindered by caps on post-Leaving Cert numbers, as is the case at present. The body could then present a rapid response to the needs of local industry.

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There is also a need to identify gaps in course provision across the region to serve the needs of employers in the region. For example, Carlow College is now offering a food science course aimed at food manufacturing to fill an identified gap in the labour market.

Ultimately, labour activation measures,whether the department of Social Protection’s Tús scheme or the courses offered by Foras Áiseanna Saothair (FÁS), have to have real, long-term value and provide actual pathways towards employment.

The Institutes of Technology and a future Technological University need to work more collaboratively with the vocational sector and labour-market orientation education. Such collaboration can lead to joint initiatives in up-skilling and re-skilling unemployed people as happened in the case of former Waterford Crystal and Talk Talk workers.

Core Proposals for the Further Education Sector:

Create greater connections and collaboration across programmes and providers:Currently there are a number of programmes designed to assist people who are unemployed to gain access to the labour market through developing their skills. These include schemes from the Momentum programme, through to Springboard, JobsBridge, Community Employment and Tús. Some offer accreditation and knowledge, others more practical, experiential learning. There needs to be greater levels of synergy amongst these programmes at local level, to allow people to progress from one programme to another and gain both the knowledge and the experience. Learning opportunities should, where possible, include practical, work experience opportunities.

Collaboration between providers will likewise result in better outcomes for learners. The PA Consulting report on the first round of Labour Market Activation Measures found that the most successful projects were those with a high level of collaboration. Activities which build and encourage collaborative practices across a range of providers and agencies should be encouraged to work towards this objective.

Similarly, there should be a strong connection built at local level between education and training providers across the statutory, community and private sector, to avoid duplication and to ultimately focus on better outcomes for learners.

Challenges and obstacles experienced by learners across the region should be documented and fed into a national picture through SOLAS. This is particularly important in rural areas, where lack of access to transport, childcare, or reduced level of course choices inhibit learner access and progression.

Create greater awareness of skills development and learning opportunities in the area:

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This is particularly important when the services are in a State of flux with FÁS training services and former VEC activities now moving under the remit of new ETBs. There may be a low level of public awareness about the role and functions of ETBs in the early stages.

Likewise, there may be low levels of awareness about the role and function of the new Intreo services. An information campaign locally could highlight the range of further education and training opportunities in the area and who to contact. This could be supported by activities such as exhibitions or open days.

For example, the EURES expo two years ago was a highly successful event organised by the Department of Social Protection where different local providers provided information to members of the public about information on education and employment options. People in receipt of live register payments were alerted in advance by text message and encouraged to attend, resulting in a high level of attendance on the day.

Past consultations with learners and feedback through AONTAS Information Referral Service highlights the need for greater levels of awareness about training and education opportunities for adults.

Create greater opportunities for engagement with employers:Under the new legislation, each ETB will have an employer’s representative. According to the legislation, the Minister will name nominating bodies (e.g. IBEC) who will provide ETBs with possible representatives. This provides one way in which the employers sector can assist in the delivery of education and training at local level. However, the role of employers must go beyond this and a number of mechanisms should be established whereby they can feed into the development of education and training initiatives. ETB structures should allow for engagement with employers at a number of levels.

Employers must also be encouraged to see that they have a role to play in the re-skilling and up-skilling agenda. Awareness-raising activities and information campaigns which highlight the benefits of supporting staff to engage in training and education could form part of an overall Educational Attainment Strategy.

An example of best practice in achieving this dialogue is in the Netherlands, where opportunities are established for employers locally to engage with all education stakeholders (from primary right through to FET and third level).

Documenting and sharing best practice:This document proposes to create a generic, short-term labour market activation initiative which builds on examples of best practice in the area. The success of these initiatives is often due to the

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fact that they are highly tailored towards the needs of particular learners and target groups who may have experienced educational disadvantage.

While there are elements of programmes that can be adapted and applied across a range of programmes, programmes should ideally be built around the needs of the learners themselves.

Responding to the diverse needs of learners is a challenge in terms of building a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

Better data will be available from both ETBs and SOLAS in terms of initiatives which work best for which learners and this should be used to inform provision for key target groups. Sharing and promoting of best practice examples should be facilitated.

Table 8. Age at which full-time education ceased by region, 2011

Nationally, 21.9% of persons finished their full-time education at 15-17 years ofage.

The South-East (25.6%) region had the highest proportion of persons inthis category.

Table 9. Highest level of education completed by region, 2011

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Table 9 indicates that the Southeast has the second- lowest proportion of persons with third level education (23.1%).

The impact of this skills deficit has been softened in recent years by the abundance of jobs in sectors which did not (in the main) require high levels of education, such as construction and the retail trade, and in agriculture and low-skilled manufacturing in earlier decades. With the collapse of the construction boom and the associated decline in the retail trade the limitations of the Southeast’s skills profile may be more severely felt.

In the immediate term, those who have left education without completing the Leaving Certificate or a primary third level qualification need to be skilled to a minimum standard which will enable them to improve their employment prospects. Those still in education should be strongly encouraged to obtain minimum level qualifications before entering the labour force.

It is vital that the educational providers in the region put an increased focus on the importance of lifelong learning and up-skilling. This should result in the delivery of more flexible part-time courses including new models of course delivery using on-line learning tools.

In their submission AONTAS strongly recommended that a range of educational strategies should be available to learners as appropriate to their needs, and that this is best facilitated through a balanced system of provision from the State, community and private sectors.

In their consultation, Carlow VEC made the point that at the pre-employment level, many young people lack the confidence and social skills to access employment and may require years of development education to build participants’ information acquisition skills and prepare them to enter the jobs market.

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St Catherine’s Community Services Centre in Carlow highlighted the importance of this work for vulnerable and disadvantaged people. Their successful Moving On scheme is a 40-week programme that focuses on single mothers in the 22-24 age bracket, early school leavers with low incomes and no work experience – facing long-term dependency on social welfare.

With child care on site, the course features a lot of one-to-one work, addressing social, child care and legal issues, tackling low self esteem and confidence. Of 18 participants in 2012, 15 graduated, 4 are in work, all in the retail sector, and 11 are in full-time education/training.

In Kilkenny, the LEADER Partnership has pioneered Kick Start, a six-week work placement programme for unemployed people. The organisation stressed that for such a programme to be effective, work has to go into effectively matching and supporting both interns and employers so that both can benefit.

The PLUTO preparation for work programme in Waterford City, run by St. Brigids Family Resource Centre and the Sacred Heart Family Resource Centre, is a ten-week course supported by the Waterford Area Partnership and the Department of Social Protection to help unemployed people reframe their past work experience to enhance their chances of finding employment or accessing educational opportunities.

It would make sense to develop a single best practise pre-development and short-term labour activation course in the region drawing on the experiences and success of such projects. Short course provision is critical initially to build confidence and re-familiarise oneself with routine and challenge.

Labour activation measures need to address adult literacy, numeracy and basic skills development. Developing basic skills among the labour force has a significant economic benefit and impacts directly on employment and employability. In their submission NALA argued that targeted and appropriate activation measures to address the unacceptable low literacy levels in Irish society is cost-effective to the individual, their family, society and the economy.

Unfortunately, people with literacy and numeracy difficulties are less likely to participate in education and training programmes.20 The development of an activation programme with more long-term objectives aimed at those furthest from the jobs market should be developed. The design of such an intervention could be a pilot in nature but draw on the experience of the successful NALA programme under the Labour Market Activation Fund.

It is vital that better opportunities for adults to develop literacy and/or numeracy in a meaningful and appropriate context are provided. Therefore the development and delivery of integrated literacy and numeracy must be factored into all further education and training programmes.

The demise of Waterford Crystal was a disaster for Waterford City. The House of Waterford Crystal has revived the city’s proud glass heritage, but with no apprenticeship scheme in the glass industry, the skills base for an industry integrally associated with the city is vanishing.

20 Bailey and Coleman, 1998, ESRI - 2012

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A Crystal Making Apprenticeship Scheme through a partnership between the House of Waterford Crystal and Waterford Institute of Technology would take advantage of the exceptional artisan glass blowing and cutting skills that still exist in the city and preserve them for the future development of the industry.

Key Proposals:

Designation of Waterford and Carlow Institutes as a Technological University of the Southeast. Ensure a Technological University is embedded in the social, cultural and economic needs of

the Southeast. Incorporate Higher Education Institutions into a regional strategy to ensure a matching of

education provision with industry needs, allowing policy to guide and support regional development and to ensure actions taken at national, regional and HEI level support each other.

A Technological University must deliver new engagement models bringing together education at all levels, technology, research, business and entrepreneurship producing industry-ready graduates and new innovation models that drive the economic development of the region.

An holistic and integrated regional strategy to improve educational attainment through increased focus in lifelong learning, up-skilling and greater flexibility in course delivery.

The development of a specific Labour Market Activation Programme for those with literacy and numeracy needs.

The integration of literacy and numeracy into all publicly-funded education and training programmes.

Create greater connections and collaboration across all training and education programmes and providers.

Create greater awareness of skills development and learning opportunities in the region through local information campaigns, open days and exhibitions.

Create greater opportunities for engagement with employers in the important areas of training, re-skilling and up-skilling.


The development of a pilot strategy in the region to ensure a greater emphasis on Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in secondary schools through competitions and enterprise modules.

Establish models of best practice in activation measures on providing career advice and ‘progression pathways’ for the unemployed and on up-skilling with accredited qualifications and by documenting and sharing best practice.

Identify gaps in further education course provision across the region to serve the needs of local employers.

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Change the rules and regulations surrounding FETAC courses which prevent participants taking courses with a lower or equal rating than the last one they completed, which inhibits people from changing career paths and reskilling.

The establishment of Waterford City as a National Centre of Excellence for Crystal Production with the development of a Crystal Making Apprenticeship Scheme through a partnership between the House of Waterford Crystal and Waterford Institute of Technology.

Support greater linkages between second and third level education drawing on the success of the Calmast Programme at WIT.

The development of a second level schools programme focused on developing social enterprise projects and link to the existing School Enterprise Programme.

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3.2 Infrastructural development

In order to be able to compete with other regions and develop to its potential, the available infrastructure must be equal to the Southeast’s ambitions for economic expansion and job creation.

The critical areas identified in this strategy are:

The need for an integrated Transport Hub aligning road, rail and sea. The importance of Rosslare Europort and the Port of Waterford to regional economic

development. The need to support and develop Waterford Regional Airport. The need to enhance and improve broadband availability and connectivity in the region. Development of Key Strategic Sites.

In terms of road infrastructure, the completed M9 Waterford to Dublin motorway through counties Kilkenny and Carlow has been a major step forward for the region, but the completion of the N11/M11 upgrade, specifically Gorey to Enniscorthy and New Ross bypass, is an urgent priority and needs to be signed off on by government.

Likewise, South Tipperary County Council has highlighted the importance of fast-tracking improvements to the N24 to greatly improve the Limerick to Waterford road corridor via South Tipperary. It is important that a full cost benefit analysis of all infrastructural investment is carried out.

This report is clearly setting out the need for strategic investment in key infrastructural projects that are a regional priority. It should be noted that this is a ten year Economic Development Strategy and Government must target investment where it is needed most.

The region and Waterford are fully accessible with the necessary infrastructure in place, including road, rail, air, port, water, wastewater and the Metropolitan Area Network for broadband provision. While Waterford has a number of property solutions including strategic investment sites suitable for a range of industries, there are still some deficits, which will in part be addressed by the planned expansion by IDA Ireland of their Business & Technology Park.

The availability of suitable property solutions for attracting FDI is patchy, however, across the region. Wexford County Council, in particular, pointed up significant underinvestment in industrial buildings and land, and the lack of any IDA land bank in the county.

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Enterprise agencies in partnership with local authorities need to ensure provision of property solutions suitable and available for Foreign Direct Investment. The IDA and Enterprise Ireland should then be mandated to bring forward plans to develop suitable sites and properties.

The region must also make greater use of existing resources such as Waterford and Rosslare Ports and Waterford Regional Airport.

Developing an integrated Regional Transport Hub:It is important that the region develops an integrated regional transport hub that aligns road, rail and port infrastructure. Such a strategy must also maximise the use of Rosslare Europort and the Port of Waterford and ensure the completion of the Enniscorthy and Newross Bypass and the necessary improvements to the N24 to greatly improve the Limerick to Waterford road corridor.

Regional Ports:There is a clear need, as Wexford County Council outlined in its report, “Positioning Wexford for the Upturn - Towards Sustainable Growth and Development, 2010”, to develop a clear and agreed strategy for how best to exploit Rosslare Europort and its hinterland to the benefit of the county and the region, and the scope for enterprise development in the vicinity of the port in that context.

Rosslare is the largest Roll-on Roll-off (RoRo) and passenger port in Ireland. In respect of Rosslare Europort and the Port of Waterford Company, National Ports Policy categorises the two ports as Ports of National Significance.

The Minister for Transport through the National Ports Policy 201321 has identified that these are ports that- Are responsible for at least 2.5% of overall tonnage through Irish ports; Have the clear, demonstrable potential to handle higher volumes of utilised traffic, and Have the existing transport links to serve a wider, national marketplace beyond their

immediate region.

Two ports meet these requirements: the Port of Waterford Company and Rosslare Europort.

In addition to meeting the above criteria, the Port of Waterford and Rosslare Europort also meet the European Commission’s criteria for inclusion in the comprehensive network under the Trans European Network-Transport (TEN-T) proposal. These are ports that, while not enjoying the same degree of connectivity as the core network, are still an integral part of the pan-European transportation network.

21 National Ports Policy 2013. Accessed at: http://www.dttas.ie/upload/general/13776-NATIONAL_PORTS_POLICY_2013-1.PDF

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The revised TEN-T programme will open up possibilities for TEN-T ports to avail of the funding facilities to be put in place through the Connecting Europe Facility, including the proposed Project Bonds.

The European Commission made its proposals in October 2011. The proposals are still at a relatively early stage in the European legislative process and it will be 2013, at the earliest, before the final package is adopted.

For inclusion in the core network, ports must enjoy significant volumes of freight and/or passenger traffic, have a high level of international connectivity and by 2030, be connected to the core European rail and road network.

Between them, these two ports handled 8% of total tonnage through Irish ports in 2011, and they enjoy good road and rail connectivity. Both ports offer services in the higher-value unitised sectors LoLo (Lift on/Lift off ) in Waterford and RoRo (Roll on/Roll off) in Rosslare22 that support competitive conditions within those sectors by providing an alternative to the two larger unitised ports of Dublin and Cork.

Table 10. Ports, ownership structure, vessel arrivals, 2011.

Port Structure Vessel Arrivals(number)Rosslare Iarnród Éireann 1791Waterford Port Company 426Source: National Ports Policy 2013.

The Government intend in 2013 to publish a pathway for these two ports of Ports of National Significance (Tier 2) to achieve their full potential.

However in the case of the Port of Waterford it has witnessed a significant fall-off in trade over the past decade. This is especially severe in the case of its share of the Lift On/Lift Off market, which has fallen from almost 20% to 5% in 2012. The Port Company carried out and external review and is currently implementing the reports’ recommendations.

Rosslare Europort:Rosslare Europort is the only Port in the country run by a semi-State body with a different primary function, namely Iarnród Éireann.

22 Ro-ro or roll-on/roll-off ships are designed to transport trucks carrying containers, while lo-lo or lift-on/lift-off ships use cranes to load and unload unaccompanied containers.

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In our consultations, Wexford County Council was supportive of handing it over to a new port authority, which could make it an economic driver for the Southeast region.

The port is the subject of a review at present by the Department of Transport, whose advisors are examining its current commercial and operational efficiency and advocating an appropriate ownership structure.

This could include local authority involvement or some form of privatisation. It is understood the Government would prefer to retain Rosslare in State ownership, given its importance to tourism and trade.

Rosslare is unique among the State commercial ports as it operates outside of the Harbours Acts 1996–2009.

The port forms part of the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbour Company which owes its origins to the Fishguard Bay Railway and Pier Act 1893. The constituent ports (Rosslare and Fishguard) of the company are nowadays the operational and financial responsibility of Iarnród Éireann and Stena Line Ports Ltd respectively.

On account of this historic arrangement, Rosslare Europort is operated as a division of Iarnród Éireann. As it is not a separate corporate entity, it cannot be accurately compared in terms of turnover, overheads and employees to the other port companies. This limits the ability to adequately benchmark its performance.

A number of studies (including the High Level Review of the State Commercial Ports, 2003, and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport’s “Report on the Ports’ Sector”, (2010) have highlighted the potentially inhibiting factor of the port’s unusual legislative and operational status, when compared to the other State-owned ports, and recommended its integration within the State commercial port governance framework.

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation announced in June 2012 that he had requested the Competition Authority to carry out a study of the ports sector in Ireland. The Competition Authority is expected to publish the results of this market study in 2013.Its outcome will inform future Government policy on competition in the ports sector.

A number of contributors to the consultation process pointed to an unacceptable incompatibility between the port and the railway. Timetables are awkward, the train station has been moved further from the port, and the rail line to Waterford has been closed. The Port has no Load-on Load-off (LoLo) facility.

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There is also a strong case for deepening one of the berths at the port from 7 metres to 9 metres to allow larger freight vessels to use Rosslare and increase the already high levels of traffic coming through.

To further assist this, a rail cargo depot could be built at the harbour, which would facilitate the logistics business and help divert heavy traffic from the public road network. It could in turn lead to the reopening of the Rosslare to Waterford Rail line.

There is an under appreciation of the added value of the port, with unutilised zoned land banks in the vicinity. It should be a catalyst for development in the region. Outside of Dublin, it has the most potential for expansion. Rosslare acts as an overflow port for Dublin when capacity is constrained there.

Table 11. Rosslare Europort Traffic Volumes 2002-2011.

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Source: Rosslare Europort. Accessed at http://rosslareeuroport.irishrail.ie/about_us/RosslareEuroport_TrafficVolumes_2002_2011.pdfFreight and passenger numbers through the Port have fallen since 2007, as shown by Table 11.

These developments are also discussed in O'Neill, Julie/Wexford County Council. “Positioning Wexford for the Upturn”: as follows:23

In total RoRo freight fell by nearly 5% on an all-Ireland basis in 2008 and by a further 11% in 2009, a total of 15% over the two years reflecting the sharp downturn in the economy over that period. RoRo freight movements by 2010 were back to 2005 levels while LoLo freight was back to 2003 levels on an all-Ireland basis.

In the case of Rosslare Europort RoRo freight declined by nearly 7% in 2008 and by a further 15% in 2009. The total fall over the two years was almost 21%.

The Rosslare-UK market showed an even sharper decline – a 9% drop in 2008 and a further, massive 24% decline in 2009 down to 102,539 freight movements. Rosslare Europort has lost market share and Rosslare-UK had just 11% of the Republic of Ireland (ROI) RoRo market at the end of 2009 as compared with 14% of the total in 2007.

When capacity is constrained at Dublin Port, Rosslare RoRo traffic tends to grow faster than the average for Republic of Ireland. There was stronger than average growth in Rosslare RoRo volumes in the years prior to 2007. Once the constraint at Dublin ceased, as happened in 2007 when freight volumes fell there due to the recession, freight loads are consolidated to maximise efficiency and Rosslare Europort is likely to contract faster than the average.

Dublin Port has not generated overcapacity business for Rosslare in recent times and indeed, has been sucking business back to Dublin.

Much of this loss of volume is likely to persist for the foreseeable future as freight associated for instance with the construction trade, such as white goods and furniture, will not return to 2007 levels.

On the other hand, freight volumes on the Rosslare-Continental market grew over the two year period, albeit from a smaller base of 20,089 freight movements in 2007 to 30,980 in 2009, an increase of 10% in 2008 and a further 40% in 2009. As a result Rosslare-Continental market share of Republic of Ireland RoRo traffic grew from 2% in 2007 to 3% in 2009. The sharp increase in 2008

23 Accessed at: http://www.wexford.ie/wex/Departments/CommunityEnterprise/Downloads/Thefile,15300,en.pdf

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http://www.wexford.ie/wex/Departments/CommunityEnterprise/Downloads/Thefile,15300,en.pdf

http://www.wexford.ie/wex/Departments/CommunityEnterprise/Downloads/Thefile,15300,en.pdf

http://rosslareeuroport.irishrail.ie/about_us/RosslareEuroport_TrafficVolumes_2002_2011.pdf


reflects, in part, the temporary entry into the Rosslare-Continental market of Cobelfret which provided a hybrid RoRo service through the Port. This carrier has since been lost to Dublin Port.

Any business model for Rosslare Europort and its business stakeholders needs to track emerging trends and respond to them appropriately so as to ensure timely investments are made.

Passenger movements through the Port have also been impacted by the global and Irish recession and the associated downturn in tourism. Total Republic of Ireland ferry passenger movements declined by 11.7% between 2007 and 2009.

Total passenger movements through Rosslare reduced by a slightly higher 12.7% over the two years. However this masks an underlying trend where Rosslare-UK passengers fell between 2007 and 2009 by 14.7% to 745,965 while Rosslare-Continental fell by 4.4% overall to 200,656.

In fact Rosslare-Continental passenger numbers actually grew by 4.2% in 2009 after a fall of 8.2% in 2008. There is evidence of a market response to trends in passenger numbers, with car and foot fares dropping substantially in recent years to meet the requirements of the markets and to compete with low air fares.

Potential for County Wexford and the Southeast generated by the EuroportThe report “Positioning Wexford for the Upturn”, 2010 also discusses the potential of the Europort for the county, from which this section is drawn.

Co.Wexford has a number of logistics companies built around the key strategic infrastructure of Rosslare Europort.

Wexford has the opportunity to market its potential business, tourism and logistics opportunities through this key transport infrastructure located in the county.

Tourism - Rosslare is the first point of entry for car passengers who pass through Wexford on their way to their holiday destination. The key is to create awareness to visitors of all that Wexford has to offer and persuade visitors that Wexford is a destination in its own right.

The second issue is to attract visitors into the county and to maximise new business opportunities that may emerge from recent increased airport security and baggage restrictions. Ferry trips can be marketed as taking the hassle out of travelling particularly for families or those travelling with dogs.

Existing logistics companies - There are a number of logistics companies operating in Rosslare Harbour, and throughout the county. Nolan Transport is one of the leading transport operators in Europe and one of the largest employers in Wexford.

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The skills base and level of expertise in the logistics industry can be built upon to create further business opportunities and exploit emerging trends. There are a number of operators who have developed skills and a reputation in the logistics industry that can be built upon.

International Food Processing Companies – Companies in the food sector in Wexford benefit from the existence of Rosslare Europort and the network of logistics operators which facilitates them in minimizing the time it takes to get their produce to market.

Reduction in freight and passenger volumes through the port and loss of market share – If this trend were to continue unabated it would ultimately threaten the viability of the Port itself and put at risk the competitive advantage of the logistics, food and other sectors that depend on the port.

The dominance of Dublin Port – the sheer size of Dublin Port makes it a formidable competitor, particularly in a declining market. Rosslare Europort will need to be very cost-competitive to counter this threat while simultaneously investing in shore-side infrastructure to be in a position to grasp emerging business opportunities.

Changes in the Shipping and Logistics Markets – Changes in the market place outlined above will require a shift in the business model for Rosslare Port. It will also require further investment at the port such as the deepening of the Port to cater for larger ships travelling longer distances. Reduction in freight volumes, and the associated loss of revenue to the Port, may put this necessary investment at risk.

Ownership structure of the Port – Concern was expressed that this is inhibiting the Port in fully developing its commercial mandate.

Absence of a clear development plan for the hinterland of the Port – There is a strong view that the development potential of the area surrounding the Port is not being fully exploited and that there is no clear vision or strategy for the role of the Port hinterland for business or tourism purposes.

The area and the county appear to derive relatively little added value from having the Port in the catchment area and the value added in the immediate hinterland of the Port is virtually zero. Unresolved tensions between tourism, other business interests and the Port Authority about how best to develop the port area have contributed to inaction to date on this agenda.

Passenger user experience at the Port – There is concern that Rosslare has become one of the shoddiest and least attractive entry/exit points on this island. While passengers rarely spend any

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time in the Port, the hard reality remains that first and last impression of a destination often decide a tourist’s view and their appetite for a return visit.

Image/Marketing - The county needs to develop a brand and marketing image to create awareness of what Wexford has to offer in terms of tourism and business opportunities. Rosslare Europort, the ferry companies and the access route to the Port could play a part in marketing the message.

In developing the potential of Rosslare Europort and the logistics industry a number of actions were identified:

Upgrading Facilities – Developing Rosslare Europort to compete with other ports and keep ahead of trends in the market place requires a long term investment plan and the finance to underpin it.

However, in the short term, to ensure that the visitor has a good experience, some small scale works could be undertaken at the terminal building to improve visitor facilities for tourism and freight users. The aim of these cosmetic works would be to provide good, basic customer services and signage and improve the overall image at the port.

New Business Model – A shared vision and action plan is needed across all key stakeholders on the appropriate business model for the Port and the priority capital investments to underpin it.

Strategy for Port Hinterland – A clear and agreed strategy is needed for how best to exploit the port hinterland to the benefit of County Wexford and the South-East region and the scope for enterprise and tourism development in that context. This strategy should include the improvement of the road network to the Port.

Ownership of the Port – The creation of an independent port authority forRosslare Europort.

Tourism – There needs to be a co-ordinated approach to the development of a cultural and tourism plan for the county. This will require a strategic vision, to bring together the various stakeholders to share information; resources and develop an holistic package and marketing brand for the county. There are opportunities for the ferry companies to maximise visitor numbers with the increasing perceived hassle of airports from recent baggage and security measures. Ferry companies could further review their pricing structure and marketing to take account of this.

Marketing - Wexford needs to develop a clear message about what it has to offer and brand this concept. The county needs to develop a much stronger web presence and to exploit the new technologies for online marketing.

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Small actions already undertaken at local level include the development of gateway visuals in the county on access routes to and from the Port as well as the provision of video and other information about Wexford on ferry services.

Port of Waterford Company:

The port of Waterford is the fourth largest of the State commercial port companies in terms of total tonnage handled, and the fifth largest if Rosslare Europort is included. The port offers both LoLo (Lift on/Lift off) and bulk services.

In terms of LoLo traffic, the port is the smallest of the three LoLo ports, handling approx. 8% of total LoLo traffic in 2011 (IMDO, 2012a). It enjoys excellent connectivity to both the national road and rail networks.

Table 12. Port of Waterford Company overview

2000* 2010 2011

Tonnage (’000) 1,943 1,451 1,383

Turnover (€’000) 3,998 6,966 6,463

Operating Profit (€’000) 963 -247 -236

Profit after Interest and Tax (€’000) -975 -574 -440

Employees 15 38** 35**

* 2000 was the first full financial year as a commercial port company** 2010 and 2011 employee figures include those employed in Waterford Container Terminal Ltd. a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company since 2001.Source: National Ports Policy 2013.

There has been a significant fall-off in trade in the Port of Waterford overthe past decade. This is particularly severe in the case of Waterford’s share of the LoLo market, which has fallen from almost 20% in 2001 to 8% in 2011. In real terms, the drop in total tonnage handled in the Port of Waterford across all modes and by Lo-Lo is even starker, falling by 30% and 29% respectively between 2001 and 2011.

A number of factors have contributed to this decline. While the declines in recent years have been exacerbated by the economic conditions, the port has also suffered due to the impact of the underlying trends in maritime transport, which has resulted in a consolidation of routes and services, particularly in the LoLo sector.

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The long term international trend in ports and shipping is to consolidate resources in order to achieve optimum efficiencies of scale. This has knock-on effects in terms of vessel size, the depth of water required at ports and the type and scale of port hinterland transport connections.

These trends are not new and have over the years led to gradual consolidation among Irish commercial ports. The economic downturn has accelerated this process. Port traffic has increasingly gravitated towards the larger ports in recent years to avail of capacity and economies of scale, in particular ship size. These trends present obvious opportunities for development at some ports and challenges for others.

Waterford Chamber said that the decline of the port, despite its excellent facilities and railway access to the quay itself, has meant the city’s manufacturing potential hasn’t been exploited.

They say the port’s development has been held back by historical financial issues but the recent introduction of a rail freight route to Ballina is a positive. The Chamber felt that lack of commercial incentive for carriers is an issue but that there is huge potential for rail freight into the future.

In light of the underlying trends in maritime transport, with their effects in terms of vessel size, the depth of water required at ports and the type and scale of port hinterland transport connections, examining the feasibility of the deepening of the Port of Waterford and ensuring its greater use as a load on load off port should be part of any economic regeneration plan for the region.

In responding to all of these issues, the Port of Waterford engaged consultants to conduct a strategic review of operations and make recommendations as to its future operation and development. The outcome of this review and on-going work within Government will inform future policy developments in relation to the Port of Waterford.

Kilkenny County Council in their submission pointed to the strategic importance and potential of Waterford Port at Belview. It is the nearest deep water Irish port to mainland Europe. Two-thirds of the Irish domestic market lies within a 160 km radius of Belview, with direct access to the national rail network. The surrounding industrial area boasts substantial warehousing.

Kilkenny County Council and Waterford City and County Councils pointed to the continued existence and development of the port as a key regional priority.

Similarly, there is a need to develop Dunmore East Harbour and Port in East Waterford, Kilmore Quay in Wexford and Helvick in West Waterford to support the fishing industry and expansion of

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the tourist industry. The provision of the necessary funding to dredge the harbour at Dunmore East must be a priority.

Rail Transport:

According to Forfás, rail services in the region are under-developed due to a combination of inter-related factors including time-tabling issues, lack of demand and limitations due to existing track infrastructure.24 While improvements have been achieved – for example enhanced commuter services to Dublin (from Carlow and Wexford especially) and the introduction of an early morning service on the Waterford-Dublin inter-city line, services overall remain infrequent and journey times too long.

Key enhancements are required in the following areas:

A reduction in travel time (to two hours) on Dublin-Waterford services An increased level of service on the Limerick-Waterford route Development of freight services in the region, serving port facilities at Waterford and

Rosslare.

Waterford Regional Airport:

The development of Waterford Airport has been hampered by the lack of any funded Public Service Obligation route and of capital funding for a runway extension. Waterford Airport operates without a PSO (Public Service Obligation) supported service to Dublin and has concentrated on developing services to the UK and to Europe. The airport also carries out activities including: a major Coastguard base, private and business aviation, cabin crew training, and light aircraft maintenance. Albeit from a low base, the airport achieved a fourfold increase in passenger numbers between 2003 and 2008.

Summer sun flights were offered to European destinations including Bordeaux, Faro and Malaga during 2007-’08 which were very successful and the airport reached over 140,000 passengers.

But passenger numbers have declined since 2008 from a high of 143,645 to 111,965 in 2009, 104,488 in 2010, 81,877 in 2011 and 78,690 in 2012.

The airport was badly hit when Aer Arann withdrew its services from Waterford to London Southend, London Luton and Manchester at the start of this year. At the time of the closure,

24 Forfás. Regional Competitive Agenda. Volume 2-Realising Potential. South East. Accessed at: http://www.sera.ie/media/forfas-Regional-Competitiveness-Agendas-Southeast%20vol%20II.pdf

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http://www.sera.ie/media/forfas-Regional-Competitiveness-Agendas-Southeast%20vol%20II.pdf


President of Waterford Chamber Orm Kenny pointed out that “London in particular is a key destination for over 500,000 citizens of the Southeast and some of Ireland’s largest blue-chip multi-national companies as well as indigenous businesses in the region seeking to do business in the UK”.

Direct flights from Waterford Airport are currently available to Birmingham and Manchester with Flybe. The airline also offers connecting flights to Paris, Dusseldorf, Edinburgh and Glasgow from Waterford via Birmingham and to Aberdeen, Exeter, Nice, Norwich and Southampton through Manchester.

According to Forfás,

“Waterford Airport can play an important role in offering alternative and convenient services to business travellers into the UK and other European hubs, and in strengthening the tourism proposition for the region.Future expansion of services will require implementation of critically important infrastructure developments including a runway extension to accommodate larger jet aircraft (c.€20m government funding is currently on hold).Further development of tourism-related opportunities will require a specific focus - in conjunction with Fáilte Ireland and other relevant stakeholders.”

Colin Buchanan Consultants published results of a survey of businesses in their Waterford Airport Economic Impact Assessment in February 2010.

“Within the first week of issuing our survey we received an unprecedented response of approximately 200 businesses, out of an eventual total of 450. Approximately 85% of these firms view direct air access to the Southeast as important to their operations and around 9 out of 10 for the region as a whole. Around one third of airport users are business travellers, which is considerably above that of other regional airports and is underlined by the high frequency of trips made by around 50% of all airport users.”

Dan Hoey, General Manager, Merck Sharp & Dohme / President of American Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Region, told Colin Buchanan:“Re-introducing flights to Amsterdam would be a big advantage as it connects with a wide range of destinations – this would allow us to do business there with other regional offices based in Europe”.

Colin Buchanan observes that the airport plays a vital role in supporting the region’s tourist industry and specific assets such as Kilkenny which is Ireland’s third most popular overseas tourist destination. Visitor numbers from Great Britain, prior to the recession were on a strong upward trend with the majority of these arriving by air. Inbound passengers, primarily from the UK,

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account for 40% of the airport’s passengers and this is a key source of overseas income to the region.Passenger services activity is on a strong upward trend in line with UK tourist visits to theSoutheast – further route development is a critical factor in continued growth of tourism to the Southeast from abroad. The airport accounts for approximately 560 jobs, both directly, indirectly and through spending impacts.

Colin Buchanan is of the view that Waterford Airport is key to the economy of the Southeast region and is set to play a more vital role in promoting business, tourism and the region’s economic development in the future.

The extension and widening of the airport’s runway and the upgrading of Waterford Airport to accommodate larger jet airplanes would expand opportunities in the aviation market to increase services to British and continental European destinations. The expansion of the airport would help generate jobs in tourism and airport support services and would also enhance the region’s attractiveness from an FDI perspective.

Provision of Broadband in the region:

While the roll-out of next generation access broadband is an issue across the State, policymakers must push forward the continued upgrading of broadband access in the Southeast, including dark fibre network, to address what is a fundamental priority across all sizes and types of business in the region.This requires investment in the roll-out of dark fibre broadband network across the region and the introduction of a pilot scheme that provides State financial support in key towns in each of the counties in the region in which broadband infrastructure enables it.PC ownership in the Southeast (70.0%) is below the national average (of 72.7%), especially in South Tipperary (65.7%). Other Internet Access (10.2%) is above the national average (8.1%), especially in Wexford (11.2%), Kilkenny (11.1%) and Carlow ((10.9).25

Broadband connectivity of households in the Southeast is lower than the national broadband connectivity rate in all areas except Waterford city.

Table 13. Broadband connectivity of households in the Southeast-Census 2011

Households with Broadband connectivity %

National broadband connectivity rate %

Carlow 57.6 % 63.8%Kilkenny 59.0% 63.8%Tipperary South 52.8% 63.8%

25 Source: CSO Census of Population

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Waterford 60.1% 63.8%Waterford City 66.4% 63.8%Wexford 56.5% 63.8%Source: Census 2011 Area Profiles

The Next Generation Broadband Taskforce notes ComReg statistics suggesting that 35% of households in Ireland do not subscribe to a broadband service; that around 20,000 Irish enterprises do not have internet access and that some 21% of Irish adults have never used the Internet. Overcoming this lack of engagement, particularly in relation to the SME/enterprise sector is considered by them to be a serious challenge.26

Table 12 above suggests that the challenge is more severe in the Southeast as the proportion of households without broadband (42.1%) is higher than the national average.

The Metropolitan Area Network (MANs) have broken the single supplier monopoly that previously existed and facilitate a range of telecoms products and services in these areas in the Southeast.27+Networks /Metropolitan+Area+Networks.htmea+Networks.htmtan+Area+Networks.htmHandover to E-net has been completed for all of these towns.

Table 14. Phase I MANs:Towns in the Southeast

Town Start Date Handover KM No. towns

Carlow Nov-03 20/04/2005 15.4km 1

Clonmel Nov-03 15/12/2005 21.8km 1

Dungarvan Nov-03 15/12/2005 9.3km 1

Feb-03 27/09/2004 62.1km 1

Kilkenny Nov-03 20/04/2005 17.2km 1

Waterford Nov-03 28/02/2005 23.1km 1

Wexford Nov-03 14/06/2005 39.1km 1

Total 6

Source: Department of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources.http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Communications/Communications+Development/Metropolitan+Area+Networks/MANs+Phase+I.htm

Table 15. Phase II MANs:Towns in Southeast

26 http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/NR/rdonlyres/1AE24C27-40AD-4A73-879F-4536250C87BC/0/FullReport.pdf27 Personal communication

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http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Communications/Communications+Development/Metropolitan+Area+Networks/MANs+Phase+I.htm

http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Communications/Communications+Development/Metropolitan+Area+Networks/MANs+Phase+I.htm


Town PhaseGrant AgreementRegion

EU Funds Grouping

CountyNo. Towns

Cahir 2 SERA S&E Tipperary 1Carrick-on-Suir 2 SERA S&E Tipperary 1Cashel 2 SERA S&E Tipperary 1Thomastown 2 SERA S&E Kilkenny 1Tipperary 2 SERA S&E Tipperary 1Total Number of Phase 2 Towns in Southeast

5

Source: DCENR.http://www.dcenr.gov.ie/Communications/Communications+Development/Metropolitan+Area+Networks/Phase+II+Towns.htm.

According to Forfás, an extension of the MAN in Waterford City to encompass developing areas in the city such as Belview Port is required.28

Key strategic development sites:

The IDA Ireland has two key strategic investment sites available servicing the Southeast which are located at Knockhouse in Waterford and Belview in South Kilkenny.

Belview:

Belview is situated just four miles from Waterford City and 37 miles from Kilkenny City and incorporates 265 hectares of zoned land, including the IDA land bank, the Marine Point Business Park and Belview Port.

Glanbia is about to start building a milk processing plant on site. The water supply infrastructure is matched by a wastewater treatment plant provided at a cost of €37 million by Waterford City, with capacity of 190,000 population equivalent.

In their submission Kilkenny County Council pointed to the abundant water supply, and the treatment and disposal of wastewater to standard, as the drivers behind Cork’s pharmaceutical success. Waterford estuary has all these capabilities, including availability of land, roads, a deep-water port and, uniquely, a railhead on the dockside.

The economic opportunity for agriculture and agribusiness in the region with the ending of the EU milk quota in 2015 will bring enormous opportunities. Kilkenny County Council estimates that the economic impact of milk will rise from €300 million to €1.559 billion by 2017 in Kilkenny alone.

28 http://www.sera.ie/media/forfas-Regional-Competitiveness-Agendas-Southeast%20vol%20II.pdf

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http://www.sera.ie/media/forfas-Regional-Competitiveness-Agendas-Southeast%20vol%20II.pdf


The Belview site is a strategic asset that must be used to position the Southeast as a world leader in Food Production and Technology.

The Government must support the extension of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) to service IDA Belview lands, providing appropriate broadband requirements and allowing for enterprise development and expansion at the site.

Knockhouse:

This important IDA Ireland site is 45 acres of land adjacent to Genzyme at Knockhouse on the Old Kilmeaden Road in Waterford. It is fully serviced and ready for development. Located off the recently upgraded Old Kilmeaden Road, the site is in close proximity to Waterford City with excellent infrastructure access including the M9/N9 Motorway/Dual Carriageway to Dublin, Waterford Airport and the Port of Waterford.

This site is also strategically in close proximity to the existing IDA Business & Technology Park and Waterford Institute of Technology’s West Campus at Carriganore. This valuable site provides excellent opportunities for the IDA to attract FDI investment to the region.

Childcare Infrastructure

Another important element of infrastructural development in the region rests in implementing measures that enable people to access the jobs market.

To that end, on a national level it would be helpful if the government devised a State childcare strategy to reduce the cost of childcare and enable parents to join the work force. This strategy should not just rely on State intervention, but on the role employers can play in providing on-site childcare where feasible.

Key Proposals:

The development of a regional Transport Hub that aligns road, rail and port infrastructure, maximises use of both ports (Rosslare and Waterford) ensures completion of the Enniscorthy and New Ross Bypass and improvements to the N24 to greatly improve the Limerick to Waterford road corridor.

The development of key strategic sites such as Belview in South Kilkenny and Knockhouse in Waterford City.

Invest in the roll-out of Dark Fibre Network (broadband) in the region and the introduction of a pilot scheme that provides State.

Financial support in key towns in each of the counties in the region.

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The creation of an Independent Port Authority for Rosslare Europort with a mandate to develop the range and business activity at the Port.

Funding to be provided to Waterford Regional Airport for necessary development works and expansion and extension of the runway.

The carrying out of a cost benefit analysis of all infrastructural spend including the methods used to fund projects.


A strategic review of rail access to Rosslare Europort to allow the port reach its full potential. Deepen a berth at Rosslare Europort from 7 metres to 9 metres, where feasible, in accordance

with the Habitats Directive, to allow the port realise its potential as a strategic asset supporting regional exports and tourism.

To explore the feasibility of the deepening of the Port of Waterford and exploit its commercial potential as a load on load off Port.

Support the extension of the MAN to service IDA Belview lands, providing appropriate broadband requirements allowing for enterprise development and expansion at the site.

The development of Dunmore East Harbour and Port, Kilmore Quay and Helvick Harbour to support the fishing industry and expansion of the tourist industry including the need to provide the necessary funding to dredge the harbour at Dunmore East.

The retention of the Limerick/Waterford Rail Line and the carrying out of a re-evaluation of the Waterford to Rosslare line.

Ensure provision of accessible and affordable childcare in the region to support employment.

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3.3 Fostering FDI growth and developing an enterprise environment

Fostering FDI Growth

A recurring theme in the consultations for this report, from local authorities to enterprise agencies to politicians and business people, is frustration at the lack of an Industrial Development Authority base in the Southeast.

The overwhelming viewpoint is that having the Southeast run from an IDA office in Cork has worked against the region in terms of securing FDI jobs, with some counties faring worse than others. Wexford, for example, has not had an IDA job announcement in over a decade, and the council reports that there is no IDA land bank in the county even if a company was to show an interest.

In 2012, there was 1 IDA visit by a potential investor to a site in Wexford, 12 in Waterford, 2 in Tipperary, 3 in Kilkenny, and 2 in Carlow, a total of 20 for the entire region. This compares to 137 in Dublin and 31 in Cork.

In terms of the distribution of net jobs created by IDA and Enterprise Ireland client companies in 2012, 76% were in Dublin and Cork, 10% in Galway, 6% in Louth, 5% in Limerick, and 3% in the rest of the State including the Southeast Region (unemployment rate 18.8%), and Midlands (unemployment 16.9%). These areas consist of approximately 50% of the population of the State.

In order to tackle this perception of a region receiving less than its due, the establishment of a Southeast Regional Office and a Southeast Regional Director of the IDA based in Waterford City would be a positive indication of intent and a gesture of faith in the region.

The IDA should increase its efforts to secure provision of new FDI and high value jobs to the region through greater numbers of site visits, strong marketing and branding of the Southeast, encouraging clustering of similar type industries and ensuring the availability of quality property solutions across the region.

This should be allied with the setting of regional and sub-regional job creation targets for the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, and other Enterprise Support Agencies.

The establishment of high level CEO Groups in key sectors such as Agri-Business, Food Production, Medical Devices, Engineering and Internationally traded services offers opportunities to ensure maximum regional collaboration, the development of mutual supportive policies and actions and greater clustering.

Regional Aid for the Southeast

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Regional Aid, also known as investment aid, is paid in the form of grants by the industrial development agencies to businesses in order to support new investment and new employment in productive projects in Europe's most disadvantaged regions. Such aid must be in accordance with the Regional Aid Map 2007-13. This Map was drawn up by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in accordance with the European Commission’s Regional Aid Guidelines 2007-2013. The eligible regions and applicable aid rates in Ireland for the 7 year period as set out in the Irish Map are contained in the tabular Statement below. The Regional Aid Guidelines for 2014-2020 were adopted by the European Commission on 19 June 2013. The guidelines will enter into force on 1 July 2014. Consequently, the current guidelines, which were due to expire at the end of this year, are to be extended for six month transition period. The Regional Aid Guidelines 2014-2020 were adopted after extensive consultations by the Commission with many stakeholders and with the European Parliament, the Committee of Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee. In the light of these guidelines, a revised Irish Regional Aid Map will be submitted to, and approved by, the Commission before the end of June 2014. In drawing up this Map, economic data such as unemployment and Gross Domestic Product for all counties will be analysed afresh when deciding which counties will be designated for Regional Aid. It is vital that the current high levels of unemployment in the Southeast are reflected, acknowledged and acted upon and that the Southeast is at least on par with the Border, Midlands and Western (BMW) region as regards IDA Investment aid.

Regional Aid Map 2007-2013 – IRELAND (as reviewed by Commission Decision

N130/2010 – Official Journal c 226/5 21.8.2010)29

Table 16. BORDER, MIDLANDS and WEST REGION

LARGE FIRMS MEDIUM FIRMS SMALL FIRMS

Period 2007-2010 2011-2013 2007-2010 2011-‘13 2007- ‘10 2011-‘13

Aid Rate (Gross Grant Equivalent)

30% 15% 40% 25% 50% 35%

29 PQ response Tuesday, 25 June 2013 (Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation)

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Table 17. SOUTHERN & EASTERN REGION

DesignatedAreas

LARGE FIRMS MEDIUM FIRMS SMALL FIRMS

Southeast sub-Region

(Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford, South Tipperary) and designated islands

2007 - 2013 2007 - 2013 2007 - 2013

10% 20% 30%

2007-2008 2009-2013 2007 - 2013 2007 - 2013

Mid West

(Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary2), Kerry,Cork Urban Regeneration Area

10% 20% 30%

10% 0% 20% 30%

Cork (apart from Urban Regeneration Area)

10% 0%

2007-2008

2009-2013

2007-2008

2009-2013

20% 0% 30% 0%

Lower aid rates apply to Large Investment Projects (i. e. > €50 million

Developing an enterprise environment

The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) was established in December 2009 by the Government to address the serious problems which arose in the banking sector as the result of excessive property lending.

The Agency has acquired loans (land and development and associated loans) with a nominal value of €74 billion from participating financial institutions. Its objective is to obtain the best achievable financial return for the State on this portfolio over an expected lifetime of up to 10 years.

NAMA has published a listing of properties which have been subject to enforcement in the Republic of Ireland and the UK.30 From this list, the following list of properties in the Southeast has been extracted.

Table 18. Properties Subject to Enforcement Action, NAMA Listing as at 28 February 201331

Locations NAMA properties

30 http://www.nama.ie/about-our-work/properties-enforced/

31 L&RS calculations

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http://www.nama.ie/about-our-work/properties-enforced/


Wexford 12 propertiesWaterford 30 propertiesCarlow 5 propertiesKilkenny 9 propertiesSouth Tipperary 18 properties(so far)Source: NAMA :http://www.nama.ie/about-our-work/properties-enforced/properties-subject-to-enforcement-action/?property_type=All&country.

A targeted intervention by NAMA could be beneficial to the work of the IDA and EI in the region in terms of enhancing the urban landscape. NAMA has advanced €980 million to developers to finish projects, with €568.2 million being forwarded to developers outside the island of Ireland. Over two-thirds of NAMA properties are on the island of Ireland, yet only 41% of its cash advances are spent here.

NAMA is funding development projects in Britain and Europe while Ireland is dotted with ghost estates and empty hotels. Under the original NAMA Act, the body can borrow up to €5 billion in total to loan to developers to finish projects.

NAMA could, therefore, help facilitate the development of town and city centres in the region where possible, such as the Michael Street area in Waterford City.

The City and County Enterprise Boards across the Southeast are co-funded by the Irish Government and EU Structural Funds. They concentrate on micro-enterprises, those businesses employing 10 people or fewer. They are uniquely positioned to understand local needs and know the background and track record of those applying for support and assistance.

The Waterford City and County Enterprise Board representatives welcomed the introduction of a new network of Local Enterprise Offices. Announced by the Minister in February, the LEOs are due to replace the CEBs and give local government an enhanced role in economic development and enterprise support.

Although others questioned the capability of local authorities to engage in this kind of work, the Waterford representatives believe the LEOs will offer a more cohesive way of measuring progress. They also emphasised that in general there needs to be greater integration and collaboration between the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Education.

Another proposal that emerged from the consultations in this area of enterprise development is that the remit for LEOs needs to be expanded to include businesses with more than 10 employees and to take in tourism and food enterprises.

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Carlow County Council expressed the view that linking the various enterprise centres across the region should be a priority as part of an alignment of enterprise offerings, as all agencies spending public money should be collaborating and sharing to avoid duplication.

Indeed, the expertise held by large exporting companies across the region should be leveraged by presuming on their goodwill and developing high-level CEO groups across all key sectors in the region to offer strategic advice and assist small companies to develop their businesses and access the export market.

Waterford Port is not operating to anything like its full potential, given its location and the facilities available. A marketing plan is needed to promote the port and attract new business, allowing it to fulfil its potential, particularly in terms of load on load off business.

One of the key themes that emerged when compiling this report is the need for greater collaboration and co-operation between all agencies to aid efficiency, cut down on red tape, and prevent duplication of services. An interesting initiative in this regard is South Tipperary County Council’s County Data Hub (southtipperaryinfo.ie), an inter-agency initiative started in 2009 to collect and analyse county data and statistics to assist decision making and service delivery.

Its aim is to provide a central portal for information, data, maps and statistics, relevant to South Tipperary and designed in an easy to use format.

The agencies subscribing to the initiative recognise the benefits of sharing data and making it more accessible and in delivering information that is relevant to the services they provide throughout the county.

An evaluation of the site’s operation should be undertaken with consideration given to expanding its scope as a one-stop-shop and rolling out this initiative across the region.

Increasing the number of female entrepreneurs is a target of Enterprise Ireland. Enhancing the role and potential of women in business should be part of the job creation strategy. EI’s already mentioned Competitive Start Fund has begun to offer specific opportunities for female entrepreneurs. Getting women into business, particularly helping them through the early stages of start-up, should be a key pillar of the job creation strategy.

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Fostering FDI growth

Key Proposals:

Regional targets to be set for the IDA in attracting Industry and creating jobs in the region. The establishment of a Southeast Regional Office and a Southeast Regional Director of the IDA

based in Waterford City. The IDA to secure provision of new FDI and high value jobs to the region though increased site

visits, marketing, branding and enabling clustering of industries. The IDA in partnership with local authorities to bring forward plans to develop suitable sites

and property solutions to support the development of key sectors such as Agri-business, ICT, Life-sciences and Internationally traded services.

The development of High Level CEO Groups across all key sectors in the region. To ensure that the Southeast sub region has at least the same IDA Investment Aid as the BMW

region as part of the Regional Aid Guidelines for 2014 – 2020 .

Developing an Enterprise Environment

Key Proposals

The development of a Marketing Programme for Waterford and Rosslare Ports. The assistance of NAMA to facilitate the development of town and city centres in the region

where possible such as the Michael Street area in Waterford City and the carrying out of an audit of NAMA stock with a view to maximising potential of NAMA assets in the region.

To evaluate the South Tipperary County Hub Data and consider its rolling out throughout the region.

Supporting expanding the role of Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to include businesses with more than 10 employees and to take in tourism and food enterprises in line with regional enterprise strategies.

Development of a Regional strategy aimed at getting more women into business, particularly helping them through the early stages of start-up.

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3.4 Supporting the SME Sector

Small and Medium Enterprises make up over 99% of businesses in the enterprise economy in Ireland and account for almost 78% of people employed.

In our consultations Clonmel Chamber of Commerce pointed out that while the Government’s job creation strategy is very much centred on attracting FDI, there are 200,000 SMEs in the State and if each created just one job the unemployment rate would be nearly halved.

These figures show just how vital SMEs are to Irish economic life and to the fabric of our society. SMEs, however, have been particularly badly affected as a result of the crisis of recent years.

Since 2008, Ireland has seen a marked decline in its business environment, reflected in the number of layoffs and the collapse in private sector investment in the economy. Businesses cite factors outside their control (such as rising energy costs, cash flow, upward only rents, rates, consumer confidence and a reduction in demand) as the key business issues facing them.

A number of steps can be taken to effectively assist businesses and manufacturers to develop and create jobs to alleviate the unemployment crisis and ensure our manufacturers retain a competitive advantage in the future.

A key component of any job creation plan in such an environment has to be the prioritising of job retention policies. Struggling small and medium enterprises in particular could benefit from an initiative in this regard.

There are 55,914 people currently unemployed in the Southeast region, according to CSO figures, and each of these individuals costs the State an estimated €20,000 in lost taxation and Social Welfare payments. Rather than allowing people lose their jobs, the Government should examine the use of a job retention fund, administered by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the Department of Social Protection, which would see people kept in employment in viable businesses.

Such a scheme would cost a fraction to the State of what it would cost if those people became unemployed. It would also be cost beneficial in the long term as it would help struggling viable businesses, which might otherwise fold, to get back on their feet.

In a similar vein, the South Tipperary Development Company proposed a programme directed at businesses under pressure to enable them to realign rather then fold, perhaps via a business health check facility, backed up with a programme of support.

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In our consultations, a consistent theme expressed by those trying to assist small businesses and start-ups has been access to credit, which businesses need to operate.

They have expressed frustration with the banks, whose refusal to lend to SMEs is stifling business across the Southeast. AIB and Bank of Ireland have set goals to meet lending targets to SMEs, but ISME has provided sufficient research to show that neither institution is meeting their targets and that SMEs are suffering as a result.

The Government needs to set region-specific targets for bank lending to SMEs and the banks should be compelled to report quarterly on whether those targets have been met without being allowed to include rollover funding (the lending must be new funding).

For smaller enterprises in particular, commercial rates are a real obstacle. Businesses should pay rates for the services provided by the State, but those rates should be reflective of the size and scale of a business, and should be affordable. Time after time in our consultations, business people lamented the outdated rates system that penalises businesses even for investing in their premises. A rates review would be an enormous exercise across the State but a necessary one to give smaller businesses a break and breathe life back into town centres.

ISME has called for a review of the prompt payments' legislation to ensure the ‘15- day rule' is adhered to by State agencies. Delay in payments amongst Irish businesses is a significant hurdle for operating a successful business. In 2011 ISME found that small businesses were waiting over 71 days for invoices to be paid.

Most consumers want to buy Irish but there is not a level playing field for Irish businesses. For example, importers can avail of the same sell-by date as domestic producers; despite the fact their products actually have a longer shelf life after including the import process. A review of this unfair procedure would benefit the Southeast’s agriculture and the agri-food industry.

Other useful initiatives for this sector would be a campaign urging the food catering industry to use domestic suppliers and increased monitoring of misleading 'Irish goods' labelling to con consumers into thinking they are buying Irish.

There should also be an examination of the use of tax credits for multinational companies that source Irish-produced materials as opposed to importing. The National Linkage Programme 1985 was established to develop a supply base in Ireland that would maximise local purchases of Irish materials, components and services by foreign-owned organisations located in Ireland. Reports show the programme was successful for a short period, but the inability of Irish companies to enlarge their scale deterred MNCs. In straitened times, the attractiveness of targeted tax credits, subject to European State aid rules approval, could kickstart this initiative back to life.

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This ties in with the Import X initiative already under way in the Southeast, progressed by the City and County Enterprise Boards, to encourage companies in the region to explore sourcing goods or services from local companies as an alternative to importing from abroad.

Waterford City and County Enterprise Boards also had an interesting proposal that local companies trading into FDI companies should be considered exporters and receive commensurate supports.

The Government spends between €14 billion and €16 billion on public procurement annually, but many of these contracts are lost to Irish companies as under EU law the tenders have to be open to competition from all EU States. These tenders are usually lost because domestic companies cannot compete in terms of scale.

There should be a comprehensive review of State and local authority procurement projects with the aim of breaking them down and allowing smaller businesses to compete for tenders.

Similarly, the provision of greater soft supports would greatly improve prospects for new micro start-ups. This should include the introduction of a pilot scheme in the region of start-up vouchers to be spent on R&D, training, business supports, etc.

Wexford Local Development Company in their submission highlighted the government’s microfinance scheme, arguing that the level of red tape, central control and relatively high interest rate is deterring take up.

The delegation also posited the idea of a mentoring scheme for start-ups using the tremendous expertise and experience of such companies as Glanbia or Slaney Meats and their exporting know-how.

The Waterford Gives A Shirt group felt that innovation vouchers (€5,000), currently available via Enterprise Ireland only to limited companies, should be made more widely available and offer better value for money, especially for young graduates who can get value from it.

Dr. Mícheál Ó hÉigeartaigh of Technology Cluster Southeast says that creating and sustaining a vibrant SME cluster is the key to regional economic prosperity.His primary interest is in creating a vibrant high technology SME sector, but his point is valid for all categories of SMEs across the region.

Another area where SMEs could receive support is via a PLATO-type programme for the region, whereby senior representatives of large “parent” companies offer specialist expertise and advice, networking opportunities and business development training to SMEs. Such programmes have

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already operated successfully elsewhere in the State and offer great potential for supporting SME survival and expansion.

Key Proposals:

A government initiative to prioritise job retention through a job retention fund. A Region-specific target for bank lending to SMEs. An urgent review of commercial rates to rebalance the burden between large multinationals

and small and medium sized businesses. Provision of greater soft supports for new micro start-ups including the introduction of start-

up vouchers on a pilot basis in the region. Open up State procurement to small companies by breaking down contracts. Examine the use of tax credits for multinational corporations which source locally produced

materials as opposed to importing to increase spin out opportunities in the SME sector in the region, subject to European State aid conditions.

The continued support of the Import X initiative of the Enterprise Boards of the Southeast which help substitute domestic goods or services for imported ones.


Prioritise the review of the prompt payments legislation as called for by ISME. Develop a regional strategy to support retention of local retailers including the enhancement

of local retail infrastructure, to prevent the drainage of local small and medium retail business to big superstores in city and town centres.

The introduction of a PLATO type programme for the region to foster greater networking between larger parent companies and the SME sector.

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4 Key Growth Sector

4.1 Agri-Business, Fishing, Food Production and Technology

The Southeast is the region with the third greatest number of farm holdings, which is 20.8% of the total in 2007(see figure (iv).32

The Southeast region had the largest average farm size of 42.7 hectares in 2007.The Teagasc National Farm Survey 2011 found that Family Farm Income ranged from €14,040 (lowest) in the Border region to €40,664 (highest) in the Southeast region.The largest number of viable farms is in the Southeast region.

32 CSO. Farm Structure Survey 2007, December 2008. Accessed at: http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/releasespublications/documents/agriculture/2007/farmstructure_2007.pdf

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The agri-food industry is the largest indigenous manufacturing sector in the country and has tremendous potential for growth and job creation, across the State but particularly in the Southeast region.

This is underlined by the fact that less than 17% of raw material inputs are imported, compared to over 60% for the manufacturing sector overall. That means that agri-food is in a stronger position to recover if the proper focus is placed on exploiting Ireland’s comparative advantage as a food producer, processor and exporter.

In the consultations, Kilkenny County Council outlined the economic opportunity for agriculture and agri-business in the Southeast that the ending of the EU milk quota in 2015 will bring. The local authority estimates that the economic impact of milk will rise from €300 million to €1.559 billion by 2017 in Kilkenny alone.

The importance of delivering success in this sector in the current economic climate cannot be underestimated, hence the crucial part that overall strategy will have to play if that potential is to be realised.

This sector has proved to be resilient in the face of the downturn in comparison to other industries, but negative factors currently affecting agri-food businesses include the Sterling exchange rate, the regulatory structure, the power of the major retailers, costs, and the difficulties businesses encounter in accessing credit.

Among the challenges that need to be addressed are the up-skilling of those currently within the sector but there also needs to be a focus, in collaboration with training agencies and further education colleges, on retraining people for work within the food sector.

Entrepreneurship is also obviously an important factor, including community initiatives and others as well as the traditional understanding of the entrepreneur as an individual. Training, credit, research and development and the role of State enterprise development bodies are all key factors here.

There should be a shift in emphasis in enterprise development to agencies that will focus on local indigenous enterprises and assist in developing the optimum potential that lies in local and regional production, processing, branding and marketing.

As with other areas of enterprise, great potential lies in clustering and networking, where small local enterprises combine their activities in areas such as research and development, local and regional branding, and marketing in order to maximise their potential.

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One of the major problems facing the Irish agri-food sector is the role that the EU’s regulatory system has played. While there have obviously been huge trade advantages, as illustrated by the fact that this country is among the leading exporters within the EU across a range of food products, European restrictions, particularly in the areas of State aid and the promotion of Irish produced food, are identified as negative factors.

Ireland must be allowed to intervene positively to help develop the optimum potential of agri-food, and there also needs to be a clarification and tightening of the regulations governing country of origin labelling.

One major advance in the agri-food sector in the Southeast is the work on-going by industry giant Glanbia to build a milk processing plant at Belview, which is situated just four miles from Waterford City and 37 miles from Kilkenny City and incorporates 265 hectares of zoned land, including the IDA land bank, the Marine Point Business Park and Belview Port. This ambitious plant will be ideally placed to take advantage of the ending of the milk quota in 2015.

It is estimated that with current population trends, global food production will have to be increased by up to 70% in the coming decades. Ireland has the potential to produce food for up to 36 million people.

The Government’s Food Harvest 2020 plan sets out a vision for smart, green and sustainable growth for the Irish agri-food and fisheries sectors. The strategy, developed by an industry-led committee, includes ambitious targets to increase food exports by 42 per cent by 2020. There are, undoubtedly, obstacles to be overcome in the production, processing and marketing of Irish food, but the future for this sector looks bright and the Southeast, with its abundance of top quality agricultural land, can be at the very forefront of this expansion.

It is vital, therefore, that a collaborative strategy across the region is developed to position the Southeast to take advantage of the targets envisaged in Harvest 2020, with an emphasis on milk expansion, beef expansion, food SME expansion and increased direct labour opportunities.

A key element of such a strategy will involve positioning the Southeast as a world leader in food production, technology and research through strong academic research and development and industrial cohesion.

In their submissions Kilkenny County County and Waterford City Council highlighted the importance of water in terms of infrastructural development. The €23 million Belview Strategic Water Supply Scheme, which will facilitate industrial development and job creation in Kilkenny and the Southeast, is an example of the region’s forward-looking policies.

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The water supply infrastructure is matched by a wastewater treatment plant provided at a cost of €37m by Waterford City, with capacity of 190,000 population equivalent. It is this scheme that will facilitate Glanbia’s new milk production plant.

A key priority for the region must be to overcome the constraints put in place by the EU Water Framework Directive, which focuses on river basin management. All possible steps and measures must be taken to ensure compliance with the directive.

The Southeast is looking at a major increase in herd numbers when the milk quota goes in 2015. The environmental impact of this is manageable subject to a collaborative approach with farmers, supported by producers.

The region should produce a best practice agricultural and environmental management model in the Southeast that can be rolled out across the country. Milk and beef production are vital cogs in the Southeast economy and the region has the potential to be a world leader in all aspects of the industry, from milking machines to veterinarian practice to feed systems and environmental management.

In their submission Kilkenny County Council outlined one major initiative involving LEADER programmes and county enterprise boards whereby six CEOs of prominent food companies in Kilkenny have been consulted to strategise around milk production and the development of small food companies into successful exporters, potential winners that are targeting mid-sized British supermarkets.

The idea is to develop new marketing and sales mechanisms for these companies, which typically are good at producing but not at selling, by using the expertise developed by such industry giants as Glanbia.

Such a high-level CEO Group could be of use across the region, working collaboratively with the new Socio Economic Committees in the region and providing cutting edge advice on future development and clustering.

To help develop this best practice model, a Science Group, involving the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Environment, Local Authorities, Teagasc, the EPA, Water catchment region, Irish Water and Waterford and Carlow Institutes, should be convened to ensure full compliance with the Water Framework Directive and to ensure good water quality in groundwater, surface water or in estuaries to facilitate this herd expansion.

Under the EU Nitrates Directive, herd owners are legally required to limit the amount of nitrogen from livestock manure that is applied (including that which is deposited directly by the animals themselves) on individual farms to no more than 170 kgs Nitrogen/hectare/year.

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In 2007, the EU Commission approved a derogation for Ireland which allows individual farms (upon application to the Department) to operate above this statutory livestock manure limit, up to a maximum limit of 250 kgs Nitrogen/hectare/year, subject to strict conditions. That derogation is due to expire at the end of this year but it should be extended to facilitate meeting Harvest 2020 targets.

As part of the development of the agri-food sector, a forum of all supermarket suppliers and members of each producer organisation should be convened to negotiate a fair trading regime for suppliers and to encourage increased use of local produce.

As part of any expansion of agribusiness, a policy of supports is needed for artisan and local food producers through designated traders, farmers’ markets and festivals. This emphasis on local and green has obvious attractions for the tourist market and the Southeast should take advantage of the range and quality of produce from artisan producers to promote itself as a Food Travel destination.

Fishing:

Fishing remains a locally important sector for Southeast coastal communities. A vision for a sustainable and financially viable fishing sector, resilient to fluctuations in catches/landings and markets, working towards an upturn in sector activity and an increase in employment is necessary. Restrictions on fishing for certain species such as salmon, bass and eel has impacted on the more traditional fishing sectors in the region.

A revised Common Fisheries Policy could ensure both an increased share of the quota for the Irish fleet and an overall reduction in the catch. There is considerable resentment in the Irish fishing community at the latitude being given to foreign boats in Irish waters. For example while Irish Fishermen have no bass quota for 2013, other national fleets have bass quota in our waters. The restoration of bass quota to the Southeast fleet would provide much needed opportunities to the fishermen in the region.

There is potential to expand both employment and value through increasing the catch and by increasing the volume of fish processed locally for sale domestically and for export. Exports nationally are currently valued at around €400 million annually. Given its obvious natural advantages and the fact that the global demand for seafood is forecast to increase greatly over the coming decades, there is huge potential for the Southeast to expand its market share if the right strategies are put in place, and in the context of the required reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

In 2007 the European Union adopted the eel regulation, which led to the development of eel management plans by 2009. The number of eels was in serious decline and it was decided to

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impose a ban on eel fishing in 2009. Following a review in June 2012 it was determined by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources that eel fishing would not be reopened for the foreseeable future. Therefore, the livelihood for eel fishermen has been removed.

The Southeast Economic Development Forum should develop a comprehensive Sustainable and Eco-friendly Fishing Strategy for the Southeast. It must ensure full consultation and engagement with local coastal communities and fishermen, seek to develop a sustainable and financially viable fishing sector, an increase in upturn in the sector and properly compensate fishermen who have suffered financially due to the banning of certain fish practices.

Key Proposals:

The development of a strategy to position the Southeast to take advantage of targets envisaged in Harvest 2020 with an emphasis on milk expansion, beef expansion, Food SME expansion and increased direct labour opportunities.

The development of a regional High Level CEO group in the Food Sector working collaboratively with the new Socio Economic Committees in the region and providing cutting edge advice on future development and clustering.

The development of a plan to position the Southeast as a world leader in food production, technology and research through strong academic Research and Development and Industry support.

The Southeast Economic Development Forum should develop a comprehensive Sustainable and Eco-friendly Fishing Strategy for the Southeast.


The development of a Science Group (Department of Agriculture, Department of the Environment, Local Authorities, Teagasc, EPA, Water catchment region, Irish Water and Waterford and Carlow Institutes) to ensure full compliance with the Water Framework Directive and to ensure good water quality in groundwater, surface water or in estuaries to facilitate expansion of herds.

Ensure the maintenance of the Nitrates Directive derogation to facilitate meeting Harvest 2020 targets.

The development of the agri-food sector, including the establishment of a forum of all supermarket suppliers and members of each producer organisation to negotiate a fair trading regime of suppliers and with a view to increasing the use of local produce.

Support for artisan and local food producers through designated traders, markets and festivals and linkages with tourism and promoting the region as a Food Travel destination.

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4.2 Tourism, Arts and Culture

The Southeast, or “the Sunny Southeast”, as generations of Irish people know it, is blessed with a great tourist product.

In our consultations, many contributors pointed to the quality of life in the region that can be leveraged to attract newcomers. Tourists, workers, or new businesses cannot fail to be struck by the Southeast’s air quality, relative lack of traffic, and easily accessible scenic beauty, from verdant hills and valleys to unspoiled sandy beaches.

It is a region whose landmarks are steeped in the nation’s history and culture, so it is little wonder that tourism plays such an important role in the economy of the Southeast.Despite the traditional strength of tourism in the region, however, because of its dependence on the domestic and British market, the Southeast has been particularly hard hit by the economic downturn, with sharp falls in visitor numbers.

The region certainly has the capability to regain those numbers, and indeed, much has been done already, augmenting its natural and built attractions with, for example, the Medieval Mile in Kilkenny City, the Viking Triangle in Waterford City, the significant heritage sites in Wexford and Carlow and initiatives such as the Butler Trail in South Tipperary.

There are also a wealth of festivals and events, such as the Tall Ships and Winterval in Waterford, the Wexford Opera Festival, and Carlow’s enhanced gallery and museum offerings.

Barry Monaghan, organiser of the Winterval festival in Waterford, spoke of the important role played by such events in opening people’s eyes to the Southeast, which people don’t realise, is such a fantastic place. At a time when good roads have made it so much easier to head west from Dublin, the Southeast needs such positives to showcase itself.

The key to regaining lost ground and maximising the region’s tourism potential lies in a co-ordinated strategic approach, involving Tourism Ireland to deliver a united message that the Southeast is a family-friendly, value destination, with a range of attractions to suit all tastes, whether outdoor or indoor, artistic or adventurous.

Waterford City Council in their submission emphasised the importance of branding in such an endeavour. If the region is perceived as a place to visit then it will be seen as a place to do business. There is a greater value to tourism than just direct economic return.

Such a strategy will require a level of combined effort among stakeholders across the region and recognition that a rising tide lifts all boats.

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Consideration should be given to the development of this strategic vision for Southeast Tourism along the lines of the Kilkenny Tourism model and/or Destination Waterford, which ensure maximum collaboration between tourist and service providers, with an emphasis on customer service.

Tourism is a key economic driver for Kilkenny City as evidenced by a €5.5 million plan to upgrade the public realm in the city centre to encourage visitors beyond Kilkenny Castle into the city and to St. Canice’s Cathedral, creating a dividend for local businesses.

This model involves a collaborative approach, involving, for example, local businesses realising that although they may be in competition with one another, the development of a successful branding and marketing strategy for their locality and the region in general will bring economic benefits to all.

This strategy must also involve recognising and measuring the economic value of festivals and tourism generally, in terms of economic activity generated and jobs created.This strategy will entail convincing Tourism Ireland of the benefit of marketing the Southeast to overseas markets as a distinct brand.

Contributors had countless ideas for tourist projects across the region, from a hotel in proximity to the Rock of Cashel to encourage more bed nights in South Tipperary, to the notion of a heavily marketed Ten Wonders of the Southeast visitor attraction, to a National Maritime Museum on Waterford’s north quay, to an ambitious idea to build an interpretive centre at the burial place of St. Nicholas in Thomastown, County Kilkenny.

There is also tremendous potential to promote and develop eco-tourism in the region, including developing further walking or cycling trails, better promoting such attractions as New Ross’s John F. Kennedy Arboretum, or developing to its potential the magnificent Mount Congreve Gardens in Waterford, and promoting in general the sheer unspoilt beauty of Tipperary’s Golden Vale or Wexford’s sandy beaches.

A key part of this regional strategy has to be to ensure a business dividend for the region’s hotels, restaurants, shops and public houses from the tourist industry with a key emphasis on improving the streetscape and public realm in town and city centres.

For example, a pilot ‘Streetscape fund’ could assist in the regeneration of towns and cities in the region and provide employment opportunities for those carrying out the work and for those businesses benefitting from their urban area becoming a more pleasant visitor experience.

As part of a Southeast Tourism strategy, an online marketing campaign should be developed to promote the Southeast through innovative uses of new technologies such as web-based video

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material, exploiting the connections offered by social media and using local champions and ambassadors to promote the attractions of their area and sell the message that the Sunny Southeast has more to offer visitors than ever.

Key Proposals

The development of a strategic tourism vision, an holistic package and marketing brand for the region with continued support for the Viking Triangle in Waterford, medieval mile in Kilkenny, and the significant heritage sites in Wexford, South Tipperary and Carlow.

To develop a coordinated approach to supporting the cultural and tourist sector in the region with an emphasis on heritage, eco-tourism and festivals.

To consider the development of Southeast Tourism based on the Kilkenny Tourism model and/or Destination Waterford which ensures maximum collaboration between tourist and service providers with an emphasis on customer service. This must also involve recognising and measuring the economic value of festivals and tourism generally.

To develop Eco-tourism in the region and specifically the opening and operation of the world class Mount Congreve gardens as a major tourist attraction.

The establishment of a Pilot ‘Streetscape fund’ to assist in the regeneration of towns and cities in the region.


Develop a regional strategy to ensure a business dividend for the hotels, restaurants, shops and public houses from the tourist industry with a key emphasis on improving the streetscape and public realm in town and city centres.

The development of an online marketing strategy to promote the Southeast through innovative uses of new technologies such as web based video material, social media and using local champions and ambassadors to sell the message.

Local authorities to provide adequate bus parking at key attraction points in the region Continued support for festivals in the region such as SPRAOI, Food Festivals, Cat Laughs,

Wexford Opera, Winterval and others. Local authorities, tourist providers and venue operators to look at increasing the amount of

‘gigs’ and concerts in the region.

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4.3 Health, Life Sciences and Medical Devices

The Southeast has an increasing number of companies involved in various Life Sciences-related business, mainly, although not exclusively, in manufacturing. Some 25 operations cumulatively employ around 8,000 people.

Existing major players in the Southeast include Merck Sharp & Dohme in Carlow and South Tipperary, Abbot Vascular, Boston Scientific, Clonmel Healthcare, and the Alza Cordis Corporation in South Tipperary, Glaxo SmithKline in Dungarvan, Lake Region and Waters Technologies in Wexford, Bausch & Lomb and Genzyme in Waterford and WIT’s Pharmachem research centre.

Outstanding indigenous and ‘native origin’ references include Eirgen Pharma, the Schivo Group, Lancaster Laboratories, and CR Bard. The current IDA strategy is to attract pre-commercialisation companies from abroad.

Even before the recent announcement that NiPro is to locate in Waterford, this sector had received a boost with the announcement in February that global healthcare giant Sanofi will invest €44 million to expand on the manufacture of its insulin products at the Genzyme biotech plant in Waterford, where some 500 people are employed.

There is a cluster of bio-pharma companies in South Tipperary, where companies have taken a strategic decision to locate in close proximity.

The strength of these industries offer opportunity for expansion into innovative enterprises, such as Pharma Assist, an Irish company based in Clonmel that provides clinical trials for the main pharmaceutical industry, and Pharma Foods in Carrickbeg, which offers crossover links between the pharmaceutical and food industries.

Both WIT and Carlow IT have developed significant competence in Life Sciences in terms of research and education and have forged relationships with companies involved in Life Sciences.

Manufacturing faces a threat from what has become known as the ‘patent cliff’. Cheaper overseas competition will increasingly threaten this sector in Ireland as many drugs are imminently due to fall out of patent.

A strategy is required to assist companies in the Life Sciences sector in dealing with this challenge, as well as the costs of Research and Development, global overcapacity in some areas and greater competition from Asia and the Far East.

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The key to future success in this area lies in creating a research and development capability within the Institutes, in collaboration with the industry, to develop new products and capabilities, train personnel and devise relevant curricula to deliver top graduates in this field.

Indeed, referring to the site at Belview, where Glanbia is to build a major dairy processing plant, Kilkenny County Manager Joe Crockett made the point that abundant water supply and the treatment and disposal of waste water to standard were the drivers behind Cork’s pharmaceutical success. Waterford estuary, he said, has all these capabilities, including availability of land, roads, a deep-water port and, uniquely, a railhead on the dockside.

To ensure success, a regional high level CEO Medical Devices group should be established to develop mutual supportive policies and actions and encourage greater clustering in this area. The Friends of the University of the Southeast (FUSE) initiative, a project by entrepreneurs to ignite and promote business growth in the region, should also be harnessed to encourage greater collaboration in the sector.

Moreover, local authorities should provide supports to companies in the sector in areas such as good manufacturing practice, lean manufacturing and green initiatives.

Key Proposals

The establishment of a regional high level CEO Medical Devices group working collaboratively with the local Socio Economic Committees, to develop mutual supportive policies and actions and greater clustering in this area and a use of the FUSE initiative to encourage greater collaboration in the sector.

A strategy to assist companies in the life sciences sector in dealing with such challenges as expiry of patents, the costs of Research and Development, global over-capacity in some areas and greater competition from Asia and the Far East.

Local authorities in the region through the SECs to provide supports to companies in the sector in areas such as good manufacturing practice (GMP), lean manufacturing and green initiatives.


Support companies engaged in pipelining new products and new drug formulations. Support stronger linkages between third level institutes and enterprises in this sector such as

the Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC), Carlow Institute of Technologies Industrial Design and Product Development Innovation Centre, Southeastern Applied Materials Research Centre (SEAM) and the Shannon Applied Biotechnology Centre (Shannon ABC).

A future Technological University of the Southeast to have a clear focus on training, up-skilling and meeting the graduate needs of the sector.

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4.4 Financial and International Trading Services

The improved road infrastructure, broadband and the research and graduate output in the Southeast has the potential for job creation in such areas as Cloud computing, e-games, international and financial services, e-commerce and other content businesses.

Kilkenny City in particular has attracted significant investment from leading financial services companies such as State Street International, Bank of Ireland and Taxback.com.

State Street International is a leading global provider of fund administration services who first established in Kilkenny in 2001 and now employ over 400 people at two locations in the city.

Taxback.com, a multinational corporation providing specialist tax return services to private and corporate clients across 100 countries first located their global headquarters in Kilkenny in 2003 and now have 27 offices worldwide.

As with other industries, what would greatly assist the development of a strategy to create jobs and grow this sector is a regional high level CEO Group, led by the financial services sector and supported by the IDA and local authorities. This group would identify the segments of the financial services market, including newly emerging sectors, which the region can best target.

In order to ensure success, next generation broadband must be available throughout the region, and suitably identified sites should have access to advanced, high quality and competitively priced broadband infrastructure as identified in the Forfás Report.

There is a need for increased collaboration between higher education providers and this sector to ensure that relevant courses are available to students and that a steady supply of suitable graduates is available to help sustain this sector’s expansion.

To this end, a regional skills deficit survey would be useful in identifying skills shortages such as languages and multi-lingual activity and to help the development of appropriate responses through collaborative initiatives between industry and the education sector.

Key Proposals:

Development of a Regional High Level CEO Group in the sector, led by the financial services sector and supported by the IDA and local authorities through the Socio Economic Committees.

The High Level Group to identify the segments of the financial services sector, including newly emerging sectors, which the region can best target.

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The continued rollout of next generation broadband to ensure that suitably identified sites have access to advanced, high quality and competitively priced broadband infrastructure as identified in the Forfás Report.

The region to build on its sizeable portfolio of international financial services companies as a basis for further growth.

Local and other actions: The local authorities in the region to build and maintain a skills register and develop a

database of available and suitable property solutions (land, buildings and office premises) in the region.

Strengthen relationships and linkages between industry and enterprises in this sector and the existing third level institutes to ensure suitable course development and a steady supply of appropriately skilled graduates.

The carrying out of a regional skills deficit in this sector to identify skills shortages such as languages and multi-lingual activity and the development of appropriate responses through collaborative initiatives between industry and the education sector.

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4.5 Bio Technology and the Green Economy

Any economic development plan for Southeast must trade on the green and clean credentials of the region, with its good weather, fertile landscape, low density of population, lack of traffic, and countless natural attractions.

Clean technology includes recycling, renewable energy (wind power, solar power, biomass, hydropower, and biofuels), information technology, green transportation, electric motors, green chemistry, lighting, Greywater, and many other appliances that are now more energy efficient. It is a means to create electricity and fuels, with a smaller environmental footprint and minimise pollution.

There has been significant investment in the water supply and waste water treatment systems in the region, providing significant capacity for environmentally responsible industrial expansion. Indeed, the region has a tremendous opportunity to position itself as the best practice agricultural and environmental management model in the country by leveraging this forward-thinking focus on the treatment and disposal of waste water to standard to facilitate the needs of industry and agriculture.

A green economic strategy for the Southeast would explore enterprise opportunities in green services, renewable energy and clean-tech industries.

Carlow County Council in particular is focusing efforts in its forward planning on new opportunities in the area of renewable energy and the cleantech sector. The Institute of Technology is a recognised centre of excellence in biotechnology research and Teagasc is also headquartered in Carlow, specifically its plant biotechnology unit research centre, which, combined with Carlow College’s offering, make the area attractive also for Life Sciences companies and the agri-business industry.

The case has also been made to Government by two separate groups for the reclaiming of Ireland’s sugar beet industry, with the possible location in the Southeast region of a plant to produce sugar and/or bio-fuel.

One consortium estimates that between 400 and 500 jobs could be created in the construction phase, with around 200 subsequently directly employed to operate the facility. They also estimate that there would be significant indirect employment, amounting to around 5,000 jobs, among farmers, agricultural contractors, hauliers, and input suppliers.

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Such a plant would also make a significant contribution to meeting the State’s requirements under the Renewable Energy Directive, under which all member States have to achieve 10% substitution of their transport energy needs from renewable sources by 2020.

There is potential, as the Forfás report outlined, to leverage regional assets such as Waterford Port, road and rail links to exploit opportunities in renewable energy supply chains, such as assembling wind turbines and foundations for proposed wind farms in the Midlands.

Indeed, there should also be investment in the wind power industry and wave energy to take advantage of the Southeast’s geographical strengths.

There also other opportunities in this sector for former construction workers, particularly in terms of retro-fitting homes and businesses to make them more energy efficient.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) estimates that every €15 million invested by Government in energy efficient grant programmes supports the creation and retention of 1,000 jobs. The Government has promised an Energy Efficient Fund this year to step up Ireland’s energy efficient performance, supporting up to 20 demonstrator projects that will become examples for the expansion of this sector.

A new financing model for domestic retrofitting is due to be introduced next year to replace the Better Energy grants scheme, but we believe there is every reason to fast track this proposal to create jobs and reduce energy costs for businesses.

Indeed, there is still a huge amount of work to be done across the State in terms of retro-fitting homes and businesses to make them more energy efficient.

It is estimated that most businesses that have not yet tackled energy efficiency can achieve a 20% reduction in energy costs for minimal outlay, giving a significant boost to their competitiveness.

In our consultations, Brian Kehoe of Wexford Local Development, citing how Wexford had been particularly hit with the collapse in construction, advocated expanding the SEAI better-energy homes scheme and retraining Tús workers to insulate homes and businesses, including local authority houses, where funding is currently very limited.

He also said there is also scope for a scheme to retro-fit heritage houses, both publicly and privately owned.

Programmes should be put in place through local authorities to train, advise individuals and groups in starting up sustainable energy companies.

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Key Proposals:

Develop a green economic strategy for the Southeast region, to explore enterprise opportunities in green services, renewable energy and Clean-tech industries.

Support the development of a regional renewable energy cluster policy to make recommendations on the requirements of third and fourth level institutes, research and development agencies and infrastructural requirements.

Develop a regional branding and strategy and market the Southeast as a Green Economy region with support from Government Departments and relevant agencies.

An inter-agency approach in identifying and developing key green and cleantech reference sites in the region.

Support the revival of the sugar beet industry and the construction a new bio-refinery plant in the Southeast which has the potential to create 5,000 jobs.


Programmes should be put in place through local authorities to train, advise individuals and groups in starting up sustainable energy companies.

An investment in wind power industry and wave energy to take advantage of the regions geographical strengths.

Further development of the strategic water resources in the region recognising that an abundant supply of water and waste water treatment is hugely important into the future.

Escalate regeneration projects in the region with a focus on retrofitting of local authority stock.

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4.6 Creative Industries and the ICT sector

A strategy for the creative and cultural sector would complement the broader plans for developing R&D activity, new business start-ups and entrepreneurship arising out of the third level sector. The potential of the creative and cultural industries in the Southeast is an important element of the development strategy for the region.

Waterford Institute of Technology plays a pivotal role as a catalyst for regional, cultural and economic development through the innovation of its research and the creation of an effective knowledge transfer framework. Over the last decade, the Institute has secured through competitive bidding on a national and European level in excess of €112 million in external research funding. The IT has prioritised its research activity in target areas such as ICT, mobile networks and services and pharmaceutical science.

In particular WIT through the Telecommunications, Software and Systems Group and the ArcLabs Innovation Centre embodies the institutes stated research philosophy of driving regional economic development through their global reputation for research and innovation excellence through the creation of an integrated environment where entrepreneurs, business start-ups, researchers and students are co-located.

Equally IT Carlow has developed a strong network of support for industry and entrepreneurs through the on-going development of their five core areas of research, EnviroCORE, DesignCORE, GeoCORE, GameCORE and SecturityCORE.

Further strengthening and investment in the research and innovation infrastructure capacity within the Southeast region is critical. A critical mass of expertise in key target sectors such as Digital Technology, Games, Mobile Technology and ICT for agriculture, Eco-innovation and ICT for Health Care Services will help attract industry to the region and enable clustering. The general creative sector offers employment and business opportunities not found in other economic sectors as in many cases the opportunities suit small scale start-ups, where investment is in technology and people rather than building industrial units.

Specifically, there are opportunities in creative industries such as: music, through performance and production; drama; comedy; games development; fashion; design both in interior, furniture, crafts and general design; a vast array of digital and social media products; web design; app creation; computer software products and services.

Also in this sector are the traditional media stalwarts such as photography, print covering newspapers and magazines, radio, TV and book publishing and retail, not forgetting fine arts, particularly in terms of painting and sculpture.

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Taken together, the creative and cultural sector is a vital element of any regional economy. One example is the case of music, art and drama festivals.

The Kilkenny Arts Festival, the Wexford Fringe Festival, Clonmel Junction Festival and the Waterford Imagine Arts Festival are just some of the annual events organised in the Southeast. These not only grow and support the creative sector, but there are also positive spinoffs for the local tourists and services sectors.

Other examples of creative and cultural projects would include the €5 million Kilmacthomas Workhouse project, driven a by a combination of the Waterford County Enterprise Board and the owners of the site and which will double the number of artists units to 25, with the potential to create long term 60 jobs.

Core proposals:

A Creative Industries Strategy

(1) The development of a Creative Industries Strategy to assess the wider creative and cultural sector in the Southeast, to quantify current activity, the net contribution to the region, employment levels, as well as the potential of the various elements of this sector to expand.

Such a strategy would also include an assessment of capacity for the sector, taking in broadband access and speeds, the readiness of the region for the rollout of 4G services, and other capacity issues such as the amount and quality of performance venues for music drama and other disciplines, to the number of graduates ready to enter digital, media and web-based enterprises.

In particular, Enterprise Ireland, the Business and Innovation Centre, County Enterprise and Development Boards and the third level sector in the region should be tasked with developing a creative industries strategy.

The strategy should also include specific targets for growing employment in key sectors such as digital media, gaming, mobile technologies and ICT in health care, agri-business and eco-innovation, as well as goals for new business start-ups, expansion of existing business and aid to early stage entrepreneurs.

Links to other sectors

(2) The food industry has been profiled through the Harvest 2020 policy as a key growth area. We believe that the role new digital technologies can play from the farmyard to developing new brands and products are not being fully exploited. Issues of traceability of produce, measuring

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yields and output, and individual farmers branding produce and creating a web presence for themselves are natural partners for the creative sector.

Linking farmers and the food sector to the creative skills of web designers, digital marketing and branding will be a key factor in adding value for both individual farmers and the small quality producers that will be the bedrock of the agri-sector in the coming years.

Getting businesses online

(3) In 2011, the Government launched a strategy to get Irish businesses online. In the Southeast this process could be enhanced by matching local businesses with local web designers and internet companies who could deliver the necessary services for business to develop sophisticated online business presences that move beyond a static website to ones that are interactive with potential customers, allowing feedback and promotion using social media and other online marketing tools.

A digital hub

(4) Cluster-based approaches are a key element of the creative sector. Dublin’s Digital Hub and Fumbally Exchange both offer low cost models of cluster-based hubs that should be considered for the Southeast for entrepreneurs who can share the costs of office space as well as creating a communal creative environment.

This hub approach could be developed not just for digital technologies but also for fashion, furniture and other crafts. The Kilkenny Design Centre was a unique flagship in this sector but its potential was exploited fully and rolled out across the region and into other sectors.

The already mentioned Kilmacthomas Workhouse project is one example of this approach. Targets should be set to bring more creative clusters to the Southeast.

Funding targets

(5) There is within the enterprise agencies a series of successful funding and investment strategies for business development in Ireland, including Enterprise Ireland’s High Potential Start Up (HPSU) fund. Tom Cusack, EI’s HPSU manager, estimated last year that there would be between 2,500 and 3,000 start-up proposals made to the agency in 2012 and that half of these would come from outside Dublin. We believe that this strategy should set specific targets for the creative sector in the Southeast.

Specifically, we believe the region should focus on the EI Competitive Start Fund and target new local enterprises to apply for this funding and business aid.

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Alongside this there is the work of the county enterprise boards in helping people start new business ventures. There are numerous start up models that could be rolled out across the region such as the Start Up Boot Camp, which is an international venture capital-driven programme that has been used in Dublin but which could be replicated in the Southeast.Cork Business Innovation Centre ran in 2012 a mentoring weekend. We would support Southeast Business Innovation Centre (BIC) replicating this programme.

Training and Education

(6) There is a need to bridge potential skills gaps in the creative sector at both undergraduate and post graduate levels.

Carlow IT is offering a Visual Communication and Design degree through its Wexford campus, while in Carlow there are degrees in Computer Games Development, Software Development, Computer Systems Management and Communications, Media & Public Relations. Waterford IT has degrees in Music Marketing with Advertising and Online Media, Visual Art and Entertainment systems.

At Postgraduate level Waterford IT has masters’ programmes in Arts and Heritage Management, Business Entrepreneurship, a range of computing options as well as in Innovative Technologies.

This is a wide spread of qualifications and creates an environment where the colleges could assess the potential to develop further offerings in the creative sector.

Key Proposals

• A strategy for the creative and cultural sector which would complement the broader plans for developing R&D activity, new business start-ups and entrepreneurship arising out of the third level sector.

• The development of a creative industries Strategy supported by Enterprise Ireland, the Business and Innovation Centre, County and City Enterprise Boards and the third level sector in the region.

• Such a plan would include specific targets for growing employment in key sectors such as digital media, gaming, mobile technologies and ICT in health care, agri-business and eco-innovation as goals for new business start-ups, expansion of existing business and aid to early stage entrepreneurs.

• A regional plan aimed at getting businesses online by matching local businesses with local web designers to develop sophisticated online business presences that move beyond a static website to ones that are interactive with potential customers, allowing feedback and promotion using social media and other online marketing tools.

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Local and other actions

• Targets set to bring more creative clusters to the Southeast allowing entrepreneurs to share the costs of office space as well as creating a communal creative environment.

• An audit of the wider creative and cultural sector in the Southeast to quantify current activity, the net contribution to the region, employment levels, as well as the potential of the various elements of this sector to expand.

• A regional focus on the EI Competitive Start Fund, targeting new local enterprises to apply for this funding and business aid.

• A bridging of potential skills gaps in the creative sector at both undergraduate and post graduate levels.

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4.7 Social Economy and Economic Self Reliance

Community Enterprise

Community Enterprise is an important sector which needs to be supported by local and national Government. It has the potential to create new and sustainable jobs and a new culture of entrepreneurship throughout the Southeast region.

Community Enterprise is a collaborative concept involving State agencies, community enterprise groups with the capacity to leverage and create new job opportunities at local level.

Community Enterprise empowers local business people, professionals, farmers, craftspeople and others to identify and create new job opportunities at local level.

Communities Creating Jobs (CCJ), a unique initiative to create jobs in communities across the country, currently taking place independent of State agencies addressed the Joint Committee hearing.

CCJ is a movement of ordinary people across the country determined to do something positive about the twin evils of unemployment and youth emigration.

To that end, it has pledged to create at least ten jobs in every participating community and 20,000 countrywide by the end of 2016. Their mission is to develop a voluntary community enterprise resource organisation with capacity to collaborate with public, private and community sectors in helping community enterprise groups and individuals create jobs (social and private) at local level.

They operate by sharing ideas, experiences, solutions, funding sources, replicable projects, site visits, enabling tools and other relevant information free of charge.

CCJ is cellular, focusing on communities coming together to create jobs in their localities and using the experience gained to assist other communities to do likewise.

CCJ’s sister organisation, Turning Point, based in Kilkenny at the moment but designed to be replicated across the country, is intended as an implementer between State agencies and the people.

It is aimed at people with no formal qualifications and unemployed graduates alike, helping them to set up businesses and brainstorming to give people ideas for businesses. Turning Point takes equity stakes and sources funding for investment in these start-ups.

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CCJ is currently organising new groups across the length and breadth of the country. Such groups show the need and value of a strategy for economic self-reliance in the region, fostering a spirit of ‘doing it for ourselves’ and expanding opportunities in the social economy and social enterprise sectors.

Such a strategy is laudable and can be formally supported by local and national Government in the region through the development of a pilot ‘Programme for Economic Self Reliance’ in the region whose aim would be to create ten jobs in every community and a regional network of micro-economies.

The proposed Southeast Economic Development Forum should establish a sub-group tasked with mobilising and co-ordinating the resources available, pilot a variety of enterprise projects across the five counties for replication across the region, remove barriers to progress, establish a culture of shared learning and of best practice and to foster linkages with third level institutes and the sector.

Developing the Co-operative Sector

Co-operatives already exist in Ireland, though not in large numbers. Credit Unions are well known co-ops, but the most famous and most successful Irish co-op developments to date have been in the agriculture sector, such as Glanbia.

The Southeast has a proud tradition of co-operatives, and in this recessionary climate, it is timely to look at the co-op model once more.

In Argentina, a country that suffered a huge financial crisis in 2001 with devaluation of the currency and widespread unemployment, there are currently 12,670 co-operative societies with over 9.3 million members (around 23% of the population).

Since the Argentine crisis, over 200 failing businesses have been rescued by their workers and re-opened as worker co-operatives; none of these have gone out of business and they employ over 15,000 people.

Co-operatives are generally established if a shared need exists among a group of people or firms that is not being met by capital companies or the State. They also serve as protection against exploitation in the market or where alliances are needed to form critical mass, such as reaching economy of scale and making a business more viable.

Because co-operatives are owned and democratically controlled by their members, the decisions taken by co-operatives balance the need for profitability with the needs of their members and the wider interests of the community.

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The benefits of co-operatives are many and are an obvious alternative route to job creation in troubled times.

Co-operatives • are rooted in their communities.• offer jobs to local people.• are more stable employers, as their members are in the community where they are

located.• are less likely to relocate to lower wage areas but find innovative ways to retain jobs and

remain competitive.• create wealth within the community and local ownership keeps it there.• provide stability and services in areas that are not profitable for private enterprise.

The beauty of co-operatives is that they can be applied to most business and community activity.

Co-operatives listed by the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society collectively have over 150,000 individual members, employ 12,000 people in Ireland (a further 24,000 abroad) and have combined turnover of €10 billion.

However, Ireland is the:• 5th lowest in EU27 in terms of co-operative members.• 6th lowest in EU27 in terms of number of co-operative enterprises.• 10th lowest in EU27 in terms of co-operative employees.

At a time when a significant number of industries and multinational corporations are moving to other countries in order to take advantage of low labour costs; or staying at home, but ‘rationalising’ staff numbers, the consequence has been growing unemployment. This has hit rural areas in the region in particular.

Co-operatives provide direct employment, as well as seasonal and casual work. They are also often the only provider of services in rural communities given that traditional companies often find it too costly to invest in these areas or anticipate unacceptable levels of economic return.

Co-operatives provide an alternative to the classic programmes of Government designed to combat unemployment, which are producing poor results as unemployment keeps rising.

Typically co-operatives place more emphasis on job security for employee members; they pay competitive wages, promote additional income through profit-sharing, distribution of dividends and other benefits, and support community facilities such as health clinics and schools, than traditional businesses. The International Labour Organisation point out that not only do co-operatives provide jobs, they provide decent jobs.

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The owners of a co-operative are not external shareholders for whom there is a profit motivation; they are the people who use the services on a day-to-day basis. For example, a dairy co-op is owned by the farmers who produce the milk; a credit union is owned by its customers; a child care co-op is owned by the parents of the children and/or by the care workers providing the service; a fishery co-op is owned by the people who catch the fish.

Community Employment schemes often deliver co-op type services, such as meals on wheels, housing maintenance for elderly people and after school care. The problem with the projects being community employment is that they tend to be limited in their funding and ambition – they do not teach the people that are trained to deliver a scheme how to continue delivering the scheme, and make it sustainable, when the CE funding dries up.

Basically, where groups of people put their heads together, they can form a not-for-profit co-operative to deliver something that they collectively need and want to save money on.

The growing dependence on large foreign organisations for employment in the 26 Counties has been negative for indigenous growth. These organisations have at times brought huge employment and great affluence to communities, but the lack of local tradition and the lack of employee ownership has seen many of these companies pull out when it suits – and more and more have done so as the crisis deepened.

In addition, many home-grown companies have been allowed to go to the wall and their workers becoming unemployed, as no agency had the imagination to step in and save the company or use the workers expertise.

If the Government and State agencies had acted quickly, the workers left behind by these industries could have been supported to form co-ops to take over where the company had left off. This was something both Waterford Crystal and SR Technics workers had requested from the Government at the time of their redundancies.

Ireland still lacks legislation prescribing specifically for the co-operative model.

The Southeast Economic Development Forum should actively support the development of the co-operative sector in the region. This can be done by: Publishing a five-step simple plan to establishing a co-op. This simple procedural lay-out

expands on the following five steps: o 1. Is there an economic need? o 2. Can a co-operative offer a solution? o 3. Is there interest from potential members?o 4. Is the plan for a co-operative feasible? o 5. Will members commit capital and business volume and are resources available?

Page | 98


The biggest impediment to establishing a co-op is people’s lack of knowledge and fear of the steps involved. We should seek to make it as easily understandable as possible.

The Forum should also be tasked with running an information campaign on co-ops and monitoring current State employment and jobs agencies to encourage the co-op model; as well as assisting in the establishment of co-ops through advice and networking.

The Forum should also ensure an understanding of the nature of co-operatives amongst relevant Government officials and roll-out training programmes for local and regional bodies and agencies.

Local Authorities in the region should work to make vacant IDA, Údarás na Gaeltachta and other public facilities available for co-op use and also consider assigning vacant NAMA properties where suitable, to save co-ops rental and purchasing costs.

Developing the Social Economy

The social economy is also an important and often misunderstood sector. It offers the potential to create sustainable jobs and enterprise in the region. However, it needs to be properly supported through national and local government intervention.

The Ballybeg Community Project in Waterford offers an example of innovation in terms of social enterprise via their successful horticultural project, which has benefited both participants and the wider community. They have been prevented from building on this work, however, as cutbacks have stymied progress on developing a community café.

They believe there is little evidence in Government of recognition of the value of social enterprise, of its positive impact on communities in terms of social mobility and health. Training, small-scale self-employment and employment schemes all need to be promoted, they say, as part of a major expansion of social enterprise culture.

To this end, we recommend the holding of information sessions in each county in the region to build awareness of the social economy and social enterprise and the development of a pilot Social Enterprise Business Training Programme for community groups in the region.

Social Economy and Economic Self RelianceKey Proposals:

The development of a pilot ‘Programme for Economic Self Reliance’ in the region whose aim would be to create ten jobs in every community and a regional network of micro-economies.

The Southeast Economic Development Forum should establish a sub group tasked with mobilising and co-ordinating the resources available, pilot a variety of enterprise projects

Page | 99


across the five counties for replication across the region, remove barriers to progress, establish a culture of shared learning and of best practice and foster linkages with third level institutes and the sector.

The Southeast Economic Development Forum should actively support the development of the co-operative sector in the region by publishing a five-step simple plan to establishing a co-op, running information campaigns on co-ops and monitoring current State employment and jobs agencies to encourage the co-op model; as well as assisting in the establishment of co-ops through advice and networking.

Local Authorities in the region should work to make vacant IDA, Údaras and other public facilities available for co-op use and also consider assigning vacant NAMA properties where suitable, to save co-ops rental and purchasing costs.

The holding of information sessions in each county in the region to build awareness of the social economy and social enterprises.

The development of a pilot Social Enterprise Business Training Programme for community groups in the region.

Page | 100


5. Appendices

5.1 Membership of the Joint Committee

JOINT COMMITTEE ON JOBS, ENTERPRISE AND INNOVATION 31st DAIL.

Chairman: Damien English (FG)

Deputies: Dara Calleary (FF)33 Áine Collins (FG)34 Michael Conaghan (LAB)Damien English (FG) Tom Fleming (IND) 35

Seán Kyne (FG)Anthony Lawlor (FG)John Lyons (LAB) (Vice-Chairman)Peadar Tóibín (SF)

Senators: Deirdre Clune (FG)David Cullinane (SF)John Kelly (LAB)Michael Mullins (FG)Feargal Quinn (Ind)Mary White (FF)

Notes:1. Deputies appointed to the Committee by order of the Dáil on 12 June 20122. Senators appointed to the Committee by order of the Seanad on 14 June 20123. Deputy Damien English was appointed as Chairman on 19 June 20124. Deputy John Lyons was appointed as Vice Chairman on 19 June 2012

5.2 List of consultation meetings and submissions

33 Deputy Dara Calleary replaced Deputy Willie O’Dea on 19 July 201234 Deputy Áine Collins replaced Deputy Deputy Brendan Griffin on 20 September 201235 Deputy Tom Fleming replaced Deputy John Halligan on 9 May 2013

Page | 101


Economic Deveopment Plan Consultation Meetings

Waterford 15 February 2013

Waterford City and County Enterprise Boards

Ciarán Cullen, CEO, Waterford City Enterprise Board

Anike Tyrrell, CEO, Waterford County Enterprise Board

Waterford City and County Councils

Michael Walsh, Waterford City Manager

Denis McCarthy, Waterford County Manager

Lar Power, Waterford City Council Director of Service, Housing, Community Services and Enterprise

Waterford City Chamber of Commerce

Orm Kenny, Chamber President

Graham Doyle, Chamber Vice President, CEO, Waterford Airport

Derek O'Byrne, Chamber Director, Waterford Institute of Technology

Waterford City Family Resource Centre

Anne Goodwin, St. Brigid’s Family Resource Centre, Waterford

Heather Kiely, Sacred Heart Family Resource Centre, Waterford

Waterford Gives A Shirt Campaign

Cian Foley

Kieran O’Sullivan

Paul Dower

Liz Murphy

Southeast Business & Innovation Centre Ltd.

Michael Maddock, CEO

Aidan Shine, Assistant CEO

Springboard Innovation Academy Business Hub Campaign

Page | 102

http://www.waterfordcity.ie/departments/community-enterprise/index.htm

http://www.waterfordcity.ie/departments/community-enterprise/index.htm

http://www.waterfordcity.ie/departments/housing/index.htm


Louis Bell

Talk Talk Employees’ Representative Group

Seán Morton

Colm Dunphy

Thomas Phelan

Waterford Institute of Technology

Dr. Willie Donnelly, Head of Research and Director of Telecommunications Software & Systems Development Group (TSSG)

Dr. John Wells, Head of School of Health Sciences

Waterford City Community Forum

George Power

Joe Kelly

Marie Keating

John Hawkes

Waterford Institute of Technology

Dr. Mícheál Ó hEagartaigh, School of Science, Computing Mathematics and Physics

Dunhill Eco-Business Centre / Communities Creating Jobs

Senan Cooke

Adrian O’Keeffe

ARC Mediation

Roisin O’Shea

Shane Dempsey

Kilkenny 22 February 2013

Kilkenny County Council

Joe Crockett, County Manager

Kilkenny Borough Council

Page | 103


Brian Tyrrell, Town Clerk/Senior Executive Officer

Communities Creating Jobs / Turning Point

Adrian O’Keeffe

Senan Cooke

David Barry

Rory Williams

Frank Walsh

Supported Employment Services (Kilkenny/Carlow)

Paula Murphy

Anthony Ryan

Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce &

Kilkenny Industrial Development Company, Ltd. (KIDCo)

Martin Costello, Vice President

Owen Sweeney, Secretary

Tom O’Connor, Board member

Kilkenny LEADER Partnership

Declan Rice, CEO

Martin Rafter, Assistant CEO & Social Inclusion Programme manager

Carlow 11 March 2013

Carlow Institute of Technology

Declan Doyle

Carlow County Council

Bernie O’Brien (Director of Services)

Kieran Comerford (Carlow Enterprise Board CEO)

Carlow VEC

Page | 104


Marian Duffy (Adult Education Officer, Carlow VEC))

Shane Rooney (Guidance Counsellor, Carlow Adult Educational Guidance and Information Service)

Markita Mulvey (Principal, Carlow VEC)

David Ford (Carlow Institute of Further Education)

Pauline Egan (Principal, Coláiste Eoin, Hacketstown)

Bernie Eales (Adult Education Office)

St Catherine’s Community Services Centre

Niall Morris

Wexford 15 March 2013

Wexford Local Development

Brian Kehoe

Wexford County Enterprise Board

Tom Banville

Wexford County Council

Tony Larkin (Deputy County Manager)

Padraig O’Gorman (County Economic Development Officer)

Cllr. John Hegarty (Chair, Strategic Economic Committee)

Cllr. Robbie Ireton

South Tipperary 22 March 2013

Clonmel Chamber of Commerce

Brian Cleary (CEO)

South Tipperary VEC

Eileen Condon (Adult Education Officer)

South Tipperary County Council

Kathleen Prendergast (Economic Development Officer)

Page | 105


Anthony Fitzgerald (Business Development Executive)

South Tipperary Development Company

Phil Shanahan (Social Inclusion Programme Manager)

Isabel Cambie (Rural Development Programme Manager)

Tipperary South Riding County Enterprise Board

Ita Horan (CEO)

Waterford 25 March 2013

Waterford Women’s Centre

Breda Murphy

Miriam Holt (National Coordinator, National Collective of Community Based Women’s Networks)

Enterprise Ireland

Enda McDonald

Brian Fives

Waterford City Council

Michael Walsh (City Manager)

Tourism Projects

James Doherty

Property Developer/Waterford Winterval

Barry Monaghan

SIPTU

Michael Wall

Manor St. John/Children’s Group Link

Brendan Halligan

Maria Lindell (Waterford Area Partnership)

Joelle Keoghan

Page | 106


Paddy Walsh

Ballybeg Community Development Project

Liz Richies

Leona Basquill

Written Submissions

SIPTU

Marie Butler, Sector Organiser

David Lane, Industrial Organiser, Construction Sector

Waterford City Community Forum

South Tipperary VEC

Eileen Condon, Adult Education Officer

Trevor Ryan, Student

Waterford City and County Managers and Director of Services

Talk Talk Waterford Redundant Workers’ Association

Communities Creating Jobs

Údarás na Gaeltachta

Paul Dower

AONTAS

NALA

Page | 107


5.3 Profile of companies in the Southeast

Overseas investment /Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

The Southeast has 63 multinational companies across several business sectors: Biopharma,

Diversified Engineering & Clean Tech, Content Ind, Consumer and Business Services, Financial

Services, ICT and Medical Technology.

These 63 companies employ 10,713 people.

Among these companies are Genzyme, Bausch and Lomb, GSK, Coca Cola, Citi, State Street,

Abbott, Boston Scientific, Lake Region, Sun Life Financial, Honeywell, BNY Mellon, Mycroft,

Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories and Nypro Medical Devices.36

Some FDI business sectors are not represented in the Southeast.

Table 19. Categories of 52 overseas companies in the Southeast currently listed on IDA website

Sector Number of companies in the Southeast on IDA website

Business Services 1Chemicals 0Cleantech 0Cloud Computing 0Construction 0Consumer Goods 9Emerging Business 0Entertainment and Media 0Financial Services 5Ind. Automation and Control 0Industrial Products and Services 16Information and Communications Technology (ICT) --- Hardware 4Information and Communications Technology (ICT) --- Software 0Medical Technologies 7Pharmaceuticals 10Transportation 0TOTAL 52

36 Source: IDAhttp://www.idaireland.com/connect-and-invest/waterford/#/connect-and-invest/waterford/business-in-waterford/homegrown-businesses/

Page | 108


Source: http://www.idaireland.com/search-companies.xml

Table 20. Breakdown by sector and employment numbers (permanent) of IDA client companies in the Southeast Region

SECTORAL BREAKDOWN ON employment SOUTHEAST REGION

Permanent Employment & Sector Waterford

No of Co Wexford

No of Co Kilkenny

No of Co

Tipp Sth.

No of Co Carlow

No of co Southeast

No of Co

Biopharma 1684 6 71 1 0 0 912 5 185 1 2852 13

Diversified Engineering & Clean Tech 931 12 499 5 6 1 40 1 255 5 1731 24

Content Ind, Consumer and Business Services 459 7 79 1 97 3 0 0 0 0 635 11

Financial Services 351 2 240 1 476 1 0 0 66 1 1133 5

ICT 10 1 114 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 124 2

Medical

Technology 1091 2 1184 4 0 0 1963 2 0 0 4238 8

Total 4526 30 2187 13 579 5 2915 8 506 7 10713 63

Source: IDA (personal communication), April 2013

Figure 6. Sectoral employment breakdown by county

Page | 109

1684

931

459

351

10

1091Biopharma

Diversified Engineering & Clean Tech

Content Ind, Consumer and Business Services

Financial Services

ICT

Medical Technology

FDI SECTORAL EMPLOYMENT BREAKDOWN FOR WATERFORD


Page | 110

185

255

66

Biopharma



Financial Services

ICT

Medical Technology

FDI SECTORAL EMPLOYMENT BREAKDOWN FOR CARLOW

912

401963

Biopharma



Financial Services

ICT

Medical Technology

FDI SECTORAL EMPLOYMENT BREAKDOWN FOR TIPP. SOUTH

6

97

476

Biopharma



Financial Services

ICT

Medical Technology

FDI SECTORAL EMPLOYMENT BREAKDOWN FOR KILKENNY


Source: IDA (personal communication), April 2013

Page | 111

2852

1731

6351133124

4238

Biopharma



Financial Services

ICT

Medical Technology

FDI SECTORAL EMPLOYMENT BREAKDOWN FOR SOUTH EAST

71

499

79

240

114

1184

Biopharma



Financial Services

ICT

Medical Technology

FDI SECTORAL EMPLOYMENT BREAKDOWN FOR WEXFORD


FDI Companies in the Southeast:

Table 21. FDI Companies in the Southeast listed on IDA website

This list is indicative, not exhaustive.

Business Services

1 company

Company Sector(s) Product Nationality Address

Ubiqus Ireland LtdPh: +35351852510

Fax: +35351852425

Website:

http://www.ubiqus.ie

Business

Services

Transcription

including summaries

& abstracts of

conferences

France

Top Floor

12 Broadstreet

Waterford

Chemicals

No companies listed in Southeast

Cleantech


Cloud computing


Construction


Page | 112


Consumer goods

9 companies

Company Sector(s) Product Nationality Address

Allsop Europe LtdPh: +35351355091

Fax: +35351377717

Consumer

Goods

Consumer

Electronics

accessory

products. Custom

Injection

Moulding,

Medical and

Automotive full

service, design,

development and

Quality Precision

moulding.

United

States

Unit 503,IDA Industrial Park Cork Road Waterford

Hasbro Ireland LimitedPh: +35351331100

Fax: +35351331133

Website:

http://www.hasbro.com

Consumer

GoodsToys & Games

United

States

Ballynaneashagh

Cork Road

Waterford

ITW GoreyPh: +353539422990

Fax: +353539422994

Website:

http://www.ipeurope.ie

Consumer

GoodsPlastic Film

United

States

IDA Industrial

Estate

Courtown Road

Gorey

Co Wexford

ITW MimaPh: +35351851551

Fax: +35351851630

Website:

Consumer

Goods

Stretch Plastic

film and sheet

United

States

Belview Port

Waterford

Page | 113


http://www.mimalite.com

Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Irl LtdPh: +3536750100

Fax: +3536732740

Consumer

Goods

Skin Care

Products

United

States

Industrial Estate

Gortlandroe

Nenagh

Tipperary

Rexam Beverage Can Ireland LtdPh: +35351359100

Website:

http://www.rexam.com

Consumer

GoodsCan Ends

United

Kingdom

Waterford Industrial

Estate

Cork Road

Waterford

SRAM Corporation EuropePh: +35351310900

Fax: +35351641688

Website:

http://www.sram.com

Consumer

Goods

Bicycle

Components

United

States

Office 8a,

The Atrium

Maritana Gate,

Canada Street

Waterford

Waterford

Transbach LimitedPh: +353567763722

Fax: +353567761776

Website:

http://www.bachpacks.com/

Consumer

GoodsRucksacks Switzerland

46 Hebron

Industrial Estate

Kilkenny

Waterford Carpets LtdPh: +35351375941

Fax: +35351379607

Website:

http://www.tretford.com

Consumer

Goods

Non-Woven

CarpetsNetherlands

Waterford Industrial

Estate

Cork Road

Waterford

Emerging Business


Page | 114


Entertainment and Media


Financial services

5 companies

BNY MellonPh: +353539149500

Fax: +353539149700

Website: http://www.pfpc.com

Financial

Services

Funds Services and

back office

administration

United

States

IDA Business

Park

Drinagh

Co Wexford

Citi Hedge Fund Services (Ireland), LimitedPh: 622 2000

Website:

http://www.citiservices.com

Financial

Services

Offers hedge fund

administration

services to the

European market

United

States

Waterford

Technology Park

Butlerstown,

Cork Road

Waterford

State Street International (Ireland) LtdPh: +35318538300(018538970KK) Fax: +35318538491 Website: http://www.Statestreet.com

Financial

Services

Funds services and

administration

United

States

Kilkenny

Business &

Technology Park

Ring Road

Kilkenny

Sun Life Information Services Irl. Ltd.Ph: +35351333300 Fax: +353 51 333310 Website: http://www.sunlife.ie

Financial

Services

Software

development and

customer support

United

States

Unit 42, IDA

Industrial Park

Cork Road

Waterford

Unum Ireland LimitedPh: +353599178100 Fax: +353599179707

Financial

Services

Software

Development

Operation

United

States

Unit 11,

Merchant House

Shamrock Plaza,

Tullow Street

Carlow

Page | 115


Ind. Automation and Control


Industrial Products and Services

16 companies in the Southeast

CIL Precision LimitedPh: +3535854205

Fax: +3535854197

Website: http://www.cilprecision.ie

Industrial

Products and

Services

Engineered

Fabrications

United

States

Industrial

Estate

Cappoquin

Co. Waterford

De Laval LimitedPh: +353599146859 Fax: +353599146860 Website: http://www.delaval.com

Industrial

Products and

Services

Process

Control

Systems

Sweden

Unit 6

Shamrock

Business Park

Carlow

G-ELIT Prazisionswerkzeuge GmbHPh: +35351334713 Fax: +35351334715

Industrial

Products and

Services

Design

Cutting Tools,

Wire Drawing

Tools

Germany

Waterford

Industrial Park

Cork Road

Waterford

Honeywell Process SolutionsPh: +35351372151 Fax: +35351376180 Website: http://www.honeywell.com

Industrial

Products and

Services

Process

Control

Equipment

United

States

Unit 24-26

Waterford

Industrial

Estate

Cork Road

Waterford

Honeywell InternationalPh: +35351376411

Industrial

Products and

Compressor &

Turbine

United Unit 411

Waterford

Page | 116


Fax: +35351355352 Website: http://www.honeywell.com

Serviceswheels for

turbo chargesStates

Industrial

Estate

Cork Road

Waterford

Hydro Tech EngineeringPh: +353526124611 Fax: +353526124276

Industrial

Products and

Services

Tail Lifts Belgium

Waterford

Road

Clonmel

Co. Tipperary

Hydro-Hoist LimitedPh: +353599142529 Fax: +353599141254 Website: http://www.edbro.co.uk

Industrial

Products and

Services

Hydraulic

equipment

United

Kingdom

O'Brien Road

Carlow

IMOFA LtdPh: +353599141332 Fax: +353599141360 Website: http://www.imofa.com

Industrial

Products and

Services

Motors &

FansNetherlands

Strawhall

Industrial

Estate

Strawhall

Carlow

Irish Driver-Harris Company LimitedPh: +35351421405 Fax: +35351422983 Website: http://www.idh.ie

Industrial

Products and

Services

Electrical

Cables

United

States

Millbanks

Rosbercon

New Ross

Parker Snap-TitePh: +353539141566 Fax: +353539141582 Website: http://www.snap-tite.com

Industrial

Products and

Services

Precision

Couplings,

Valves &

Hose

United

States

Whitemills

Industrial

Estate

Wexford

Readymix CinePh: +353567761177 Fax: +353567761182

Industrial

Products and

Concrete

Products

Mexico Dunmore

Co. Kilkenny

Page | 117


Website: http://www.readymix.ie Services

ReflexitePh: +35351358132 Fax: +35351358047 Website: http://www.reflexite-europe.com

Industrial

Products and

Services

Reflective

Film

United

States

Unit 5

Cleaboy

Business

Park, Old

Kilmeaden

Road

Waterford

Reynaer's Manufacturing LimitedPh: +353539235600 Fax: +353539235812 Website: http://www.reynaers.com

Industrial

Products and

Services

Aluminium

AccessoriesNetherlands

Fairfield

Enniscorthy

Co Wexford

Sulzer Pump Solutions Ireland Ltd.Ph: +353 53 916 3200 Fax: +353539142335 Website: http://www.abspumps.com

Industrial

Products and

Services

Submersible

Pumps and

Components

Switzerland

Clonard Road

Wexford

Taylor Made Glass and Systems LimitedPh: +35350431986 Fax: 050431986 Website: http://www.taylormarine.com

Industrial

Products and

Services

Curved

tempered

safety glass,

sidebody &

rooflights

United

States

Railway Road

Templemore

Co Tipperary

Thermo-Air Environmental Technology LtdPh: +353599140327 Fax: +353599142174 Website:

Industrial

Products and

Services

Paint Spray

Cabins,

Industrial

Heating and

Ventilation

Netherlands Strawhall

Athy Road

Carlow

Page | 118


http://www.thermoair.comEquipment,

Hydraulic

Systems

Informations and Communications Technology (ICT)

4 companies

Carten Controls LimitedPh: +35351355436

Fax: +35351378054

Website:

http://www.cartencontrols.com

--- Hardware

Information and

Communications

Technology (ICT)

High Purity

ValvesJapan

Unit 609

Waterford

Industrial

Estate

Waterford

Convertec LimitedPh: +3535370100 Fax: +3535370101 Website: http://www.convertec.de

Information and

Communications

Technology (ICT)

--- Hardware

Power

Devices &

DL/DL

Converters

Germany

Whitemill

Industrial

Estate

Wexford

Eltex Manufacturing LimitedPh: +35350431002 Fax: 050431002 Website: http://www.eltex.se

--- Hardware

Information and

Communications

Technology (ICT)

Measuring &

Control

Devices

Sweden

Railway Road

Templemore

Co Tipperary

Theo Benning Irl.Ph: +353539143155 Fax: +353539141841 Website: http://www.benning.de

Information and

Communications

Technology (ICT)

--- Hardware

Voltage

Testers &

Power

Supplies

Germany

Whitemill

Industrial

Estate

Wexford

Medical Technologies

7 companies in the Southeast. The Southeast’s number of overseas-based pharmaceutical and life

sciences companies account for a significant amount of export income to the economy.

Abbott Ireland Vascular Division Medical Vascular United Cashel

Page | 119


ClonmelPh: +353526173000

Fax: +3535288948

Website: http://www.abbott.com

Technologies Products (VI) States

Road

Clonmel

Co.

Tipperary

Bausch+Lomb IrelandPh: +35351355001 Fax: +35351355639 Website: http://www.bausch.com

Medical

Technologies

Contact Lenses

and

Pharmaceutical

United

States

Unit

424/425

Waterford

Industrial

Park

Cork Road

Waterford

Boston Scientific Clonmel LimitedPh: +353526181000 Fax: +353526181002 Website: http://www.bsci.com

Medical

Technologies

Pacemakers

CRM

United

States

Cashel

Road

Clonmel

Co

Tipperary

Carl Zeiss Vision Ireland LimitedPh: +353539163700 Fax: +353539141671 Website: http://www.vision.zeiss.com/

Medical

Technologies

Ophthalmic

plastic lensesGermany

Whitemill

Industrial

Estate

Wexford

Lake Region Medical LimitedPh: +35351440500 Fax: +35351440503 Website: http://www.lakeregionmedical.com

Medical

Technologies

Guide Wires for

Diagnostic and

Interventional

Procedures

United

States

Butlersland

New Ross

Co Wexford

Microbrush International Ltd.Ph: +3535845966 Fax: +3535845969 Website:

Medical

Technologies

Disposable

Dental

Applications

United

States

Clogherane

Dungarvan

Co.

Page | 120


http://www.microbrush.com Waterford

Waters Technologies Ireland Ltd.Ph: +353539160400 Fax: +353539121681 Website: http://www.waters.com

Medical

Technologies

World's largest

manufacturer of

high

performance

liquid chro

United

States

Wexford

Business

Park

Drinagh

Wexford

Co Wexford

Transportation

No overseas companies listed in Southeast

Pharmaceuticals

10 companies, The overseas-based pharmaceutical and life sciences

Companies based in the Southeast account for a significant amount of export income to the Irish economy.

Genzyme Ireland LimitedPh: +35351594100

Fax: +35351594105

Website:

http://www.genzyme.com

Pharmaceuticals

Biochemicals,

pharmaceuticals and

medicines

France

IDA Industrial

Park

Old Kilmeaden

Road

Waterford

GlaxoSmithKline Dungarvan LtdPh: +3535820200

Fax: +3535822555/43130

Website: http://www.gsk.com

PharmaceuticalsFinished

Pharmaceuticals

United

Kingdom

Knockbrack

Dungarvan

Co. Waterford

GlaxoSmithKline Oral CarePh: +3535820200

Fax: +3535820299

Website: http://www.gsk.com

Pharmaceuticals Oral Care productsUnited

Kingdom

Youghal Road

Dungarvan

Co Waterford

Laboratoires Arkopharma SA Pharmaceuticals Finished France Unit 507

Page | 121


Ph: +35351351776

Fax: +35351351782

Website:

http://www.arkopharma.com

Pharmaceuticals

Western

Industrial

Estate

Waterford City

Waterford

Merck Sharp & Dohme (Ireland)Ph: +35351601000

Fax: +35351601241

Website:

http://www.msdireland.ie

Pharmaceuticals Bulk PharmaceuticalsUnited

States

Ballydine

Kilsheelan

Clonmel

Co Tipperary

MSD International GmbH (MSD Ireland Carlow)Ph: +353599172600

Fax: +353594232592

Pharmaceuticals

Biologicals;

disinfection equipment

and supplies;

pharmaceuticals,

drugs and medicines

United

States

Carlow

Business Park

Carlow

Niche Generics LimitedPh: +353 52 6126960

Fax: +353 52 6126961

Website:

http://www.nichegenerics.com

Pharmaceuticals

Regulatory Affairs

Department for Niche

Generics

India

Ard Gaoithe

Commercial

Centre

Ard Gaoithe

Business Park,

Cashel Rd,

Clonmel

Co Tipperary

Ranbaxy Ireland LimitedPh: +3536261206

Fax: +3536261575

Website:

http://www.ranbaxy.com

PharmaceuticalsFinished

PharmaceuticalsIndia

Spafield, Cork

Road

Cashel

Co. Tipperary

Suir Pharma IrelandPh: +353 52 6179999

Website:

http://www.suirpharma.com

PharmaceuticalsGeneric

pharmaceuticalsGermany

Waterford

Road

Clonmel

Co. Tipperary

TEVA Pharmaceuticals Generic Israel Units 27 - 35

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Ph: +35351331331

Fax: +35351331398

Website: http://www.teva.ie

Pharmaceuticals

IDA Industrial

Estate

Waterford

Co Waterford

Source: http://www.idaireland.com/search-companies.xml

Table 22. Selected major IDA projects in the South-East region

Company Sector/Activity Estimated Job Numbers

GlaxoSmithKline Pharma 50

Merck Carlow Pharma 170

Servier Pharma 155

Merck Clonmel Pharma 120

Genzyme Bio Tech 170

Lancaster Laboratories

(Microchem)

Medical Technologies 100

Cordis Medical Technologies 450

Waters Technologies Medical Technologies 125

Teva Pharma 165

Equifax !CT Services 180

Citi Financial Services 250

Unum Software 200

Coca Cola Beverages 100

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5.2 Indigenous Businesses in the Southeast

The Southeast has a cluster of notable companies including Glanbia, Ireland’s largest dairy

processor employing 4,500 people globally across 19 countries; Cartoon Saloon animation studio

which was nominated for an academy award and Eirgen Pharma, which manufacturers niche

cancer drugs, adding to the list of 595 indigenous companies in the Southeast.37

Table 23. Number of Enterprises in the Southeast,2010

Business Demography NACE Rev 2 by County, Employment Size, StatisticalIndicator and Year

2010Carlow

All persons engaged size classesActive Enterprises (Number) 2,276Persons Engaged (Number) 11,422Employees (Number) 10,007

Under 10Active Enterprises (Number) 2,059Persons Engaged (Number) 4,280Employees (Number) 2,909

10 - 19Active Enterprises (Number) ..Persons Engaged (Number) ..Employees (Number) ..

20 - 49Active Enterprises (Number) 73Persons Engaged (Number) 2,148Employees (Number) 2,139


250 and overActive Enterprises (Number) ..Persons Engaged (Number) ..Employees (Number) ..

37 Source: IDA. Accessed at:

http://www.idaireland.com/connect-and-invest/waterford/#/connect-and-invest/waterford/business-in-waterford/homegrown-businesses/

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KilkennyAll persons engaged size classesActive Enterprises (Number) 3,491Persons Engaged (Number) 16,580Employees (Number) 14,272


10 - 19Active Enterprises (Number) ..Persons Engaged (Number) ..Employees (Number) ..



250 and overActive Enterprises (Number) ..Persons Engaged (Number) ..Employees (Number)

WaterfordAll persons engaged size classesActive Enterprises (Number) 4,317Persons Engaged (Number) 27,417Employees (Number) 24,610




50 - 249Active Enterprises (Number) 47Persons Engaged (Number) 4,531

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Employees (Number) 4,527250 and overActive Enterprises (Number) 16Persons Engaged (Number) 8,370Employees (Number) 8,370

WexfordAll persons engaged size classesActive Enterprises (Number) 6,035Persons Engaged (Number) 27,355Employees (Number) 23,451





250 and overActive Enterprises (Number) 6Persons Engaged (Number) 2,587Employees (Number) 2,587

TipperaryAll persons engaged size classesActive Enterprises (Number) 6,254Persons Engaged (Number) 29,480Employees (Number) 25,113



20 - 49Active Enterprises (Number) 131

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Persons Engaged (Number) 3,816Employees (Number) 3,795


250 and overActive Enterprises (Number) 11Persons Engaged (Number) 3,962Employees (Number) 3,960

Source: CSO Business Demography . http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/saveselections.asp

Note: North/South Tipperary not available separately

Note: The geographical breakdown given is an approximation. The county breakdown is based on

the address at which an enterprise is registered for Revenue purposes, rather than where the

business actually operates from, because no comprehensive administrative source is currently

available for business locations. In particular, where an enterprise has local units in several

counties, but one head office where all employment is registered, all its employees will be counted

against the county where the head office is located. Enterprises with Unknown supplied generally

have Revenue registered addresses outside of the Republic of Ireland. However, the employees

registered with these addresses are working in the Republic of Ireland.

For example, County Waterford has employers in a range of indigenous and FDI companies.

These include:

Pharmaceutical / Science: GSK, Pinewood Laboratories (Wockhardt), Microbrush International Limited, Lancaster Laboratories Europe (Microchem).

International Business Services: Citi Hedge Fund Services, Glanbia Shared Services.

Engineering: Radley Engineering, Shanley Engineering, Powerflow.

Food: Cappoquin Poultry, Flahavans, Dawn Meats and Meadow Fresh Foods.

Creative Industries: Nemeton Television Production.

Another example is Clonmel, the administrative capital of South Tipperary, where a number of

major pharmaceutical companies are located, including Guidant, Clonmel Healthcare and Merck,

Sharpe and Dohme. The Coolmore Stud is situated nearby.

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5.4 Profile of the construction sector in the Southeast.

Construction employment in the Southeast fell from 30,500 in 2007 to 16,200 in 201038. Data on construction employment was obtained by DKM Economic Consultants for Q1 2010, based on the total number employed at that time (130,600). Figure 2 reveals that all regions nationwide, including the Southeast, have been gravely affected by the construction crisis.

Table 23: Regional breakdown of construction employment: Q1 2007 – Q1 2010(Thousands)

Source: CSO quoted by DKM

According to the Chart:

Each region experienced severe contractions in construction employment. Allbut two regions (Mid-East/South-East) had their workforce reduced by more than50% in the three years to Q1 2010.

38 DKM Economic Consultants. Annual Construction Industry Review 2009 and Outlook 2010–2012,October 2010. Accessed at http://www.dkm.ie/uploads/pdf/reports/2010%2010%20CIRO%20FINAL%20REPORT.pdf

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Construction employment in the Southeast fell from 30,500 in 2007 to 16,200 in 2010. Although DKM ascertained job losses from looking at the employment numbers, it was notpossible for them to establish whether those who lost their jobs have remained in the Irish workforce.39

The QNHS only provides an aggregate measure of unemployment for the economy as a whole and does not measure unemployment in each economic sector.

While some unemployed workers have left the labour force due to emigration or earlyretirement, for example, DKM suggests it is likely that the majority are being counted as unemployed.

There are no separate data published for unemployment in construction but with construction accounting for 57% of all job losses, DKM suggests that the construction unemployment rate is likely to be significantly higher than the national average of rate of 13.2%. In some regions of the country, DKM suggest it is likely to be closer to 25%. Their analysis of the individual occupations in the construction sector reveals a considerable drop right across the board.

The return of net outward migration over the past two years supports the anecdotal evidence that construction professionals and other construction workers have opted to emigrate. While this trend implies a loss of design and construction skills, other critical issues now for construction comprise the lack of jobs for graduates and the reduced potential to attract school leavers into the construction professions.

“The severe drop in construction output from 2007 was mirrored in the construction employment numbers, which began to tumble as the volume of work declined at a rapid pace.40

The situation now is that many skilled construction workers, professionals and trades persons have to emigrate to secure employment. The most recent estimates for emigration suggest that almost 142,000 persons left Ireland in the two years to April 2011, almost 50% of whom were of Irish nationality. In the most recent twelve month period, for which data is available, almost 60% of males who emigrated were Irish. The result is a substantial loss of the skills base and expertise in the construction sector, especially in design and building, which are essential to delivering the

39 DKM Economic Consultants. Annual Construction Industry Review 2009 and Outlook 2010–2012,October 2010. Accessed at:http://www.dkm.ie/uploads/pdf/reports/2010%2010%20CIRO%20FINAL%20REPORT.pdf

40 DKM Economic Consultants for the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland. The Irish Construction Industry in 2012. Accessed at: http://www.dkm.ie/uploads/pdf/reports/Irish%20Construction%20Industry%20in%202012%20DKM%20SCSI.pdf

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high quality infrastructure required to support a growing competitive economy focused on attracting foreign direct investment and competing in international markets.

There are considerable policy implications arising for unemployed construction workers who will require new skills to find employment in other sectors. Retraining and up-skilling programmes are required for work in those sectors that are expected to expand in the next phase of Ireland’s economic recovery. The sector is unlikely to see employment return to the levels recorded in the run up to the peak.

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5.5 Glossary of terms

BERD Business Expenditure Research and DevelopmentBIC Business Innovation CentreBMW Border, Midlands and WesternCCJ Communities Creating JobsCEO Groups Chief Executive Officer GroupsCFP Common Fisheries PolicyEI Enterprise IrelandEPA Environmental Protection AgencyETB Educational Training BoardFÁS Foras Áiseanna SaothairFDI Foreign Direct InvestmentFET Further Education and TrainingFETAC Further Education and Training Awards CouncilFUSE Friends of the University of the SoutheastGMP Good Manufacturing PracticeGVA Gross Value AddedHEIs Higher Education InstitutionsHERD Higher Education Research and DevelopmentIDA Industrial Development AuthorityISME Irish Small and Medium EnterprisesMAN Metropolian Area Networks?MNCs Multinational CompaniesNALA National Adult Literacy AssociationNAMA National Asset Management AgencyPMBRC Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research CentreQNHS Quarterly National Household SurveySEAM South East Applied MaterialsSFI Science Foundation IrelandShannon ABC Shannon Applied Biotechnology CentreSME Small and Medium EnterprisesSOLAS Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanunaigh agus ScileannaTEN-T Trans European Network-TransportTSSG Telecommunications, Software Systems GroupÚdarás Údarás na GaeltachtaVEC's Vocational Educational Committee'sWIT Waterford Institute of Technology

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Documents

South East Economic Development Strategy - Oireachtas