Is the North West being left behind.

IrishLad2012 · 01-10-2014 06:19PM #1

Nationwide would suggest that our economy is recovering,slowly but still is improving but cant help wonder is the North West being left behind.

Just on the news this evening, I heard about 400 jobs for Dublin and more jobs for a medical devices plant in Cork. With this I was thinking, when was the last time significant jobs were announced in Sligo, Abbvie is probably one of the biggest manufacturing employers at the moment but outside of that, things seem to be a lot different.

I love the North West and plan to live here for the rest of my life, if my job can sustain that but I really feel that we need another 500 or so jobs in Sligo, we have the empty premises, which brings me onto my next question, what is any of our TD's doing to create jobs? What are they doing to attract manufacturing, IT, call centres or similar jobs.

I was recently speaking with an entrepreneur who runs a small business out in Collooney, he recently created a few extra jobs and was contacted by a local minister to get a snap for the local papers, now I'm not going name the Minister but lets just say 'He is the one that struggles to pay his loans', anyway when his minister came in to have the photos taken, the business owner asked him about issues that SME's were experiencing and this Ministers response was that he couldn't care about that just take the photo and I am out of here.

Does anyone else think we should be doing more to create jobs in the North West and improve our local economy. I currently feel that we are being left behind in the recovery, something similar happened in the North West of England in the lates 80's/early 90's.

red sean · 01-10-2014 08:05PM

We are being left behind, as we always have been, but much of the problem is purely down to geography. Of course jobs will be created in big urban centres like Dublin, Cork, Waterford, etc. because the infrastructure is already in place and the big population is there.
Costs of shipping product alone, for a manufacturing facility in Sligo is always going to be significantly higher and slower than on the east coast.

As regards call centres, these always seem to be temporary jobs for a couple of years as the poorer countries always provide cheaper labour rates which is their biggest ongoing cost. They just move on.

Your paragraph about the former minister is without any doubt a "porkie" that was told to you. Not even that prat would so stupid as to say something like that!
I've spoken to a former TD some time ago (different constituency) and he remarked that they are always being asked to openings and pr shoots by businesses as the companies/entrepreneurs like to "keep in" with politicians regardless of their party, in case they ever need a grant application pushed forward etc.

I'd ask the question what is the IDA/Enterprise Ireland doing about the NW, rather the TD's. Unless we have a senior minister locally we're going to get nothing but the crumbs.
I personally think the jobs we need most in the NW are jobs created locally using our natural resources.

whatswhat · 01-10-2014 08:37PM

A very interesting question. I am sure everyone will have opinions on it, so here is mine. I honestly believe that here in the North West, Sligo in particular, we live in one of the most beautiful under rated Counties in the Country which has everything to offer by way of tourism, business/retail premises etc...

I am not into politics but it seems that most of the time, progress seems to get hampered at even the most basic levels as in the local powers that be. The Chamber of Commerce do a fine job on stopping new retail businesses opening on the Retail Park by denying them planning if it suits them. This is not helping create jobs.

Just last week, it seemed every radio channel I switched on, were banging on about the "Ploughing Championships/ festival" whatever it was and promoting it heavily. We had the All Ireland Fleadh for Gods sake and apart from local radio, it never got mentioned. Our town and surroundings looked fantastic for this event and it was a big deal yet seemed to slip under the radar Countrywide. As far as tourism goes and I have said this before, this County has more to offer than most. 28 Counties in the Republic, just 12 are coastal and we are one of them, so we can promote surfing, fishing, 5 blue flag beaches, other water sports and the Wild Atlantic Way etc... How many other Counties can say they have these as well as Mountains, Rivers, Lakes and all the activities that they bring too. For a small County, its got a lot to offer. This area, I believe would create more jobs if promoted better.

Wasting money and public funds. Lissadell? Putting in cycle lanes wider than a car, then having to re-do them all again. We are not Holland. I know provisions for cyclists have to be made but the ratio of cyclist to driver does not merit a 4 foot wide cycle lane in the first place! My point on this is that the council are wasting money and this is a threat to council workers jobs.

In summary, I think that in order to move forward as a County and not get left behind, every department, local or wider, needs to be singing from the same hymn sheet and work together to blow the trumpet for Sligo.

Plazaman · 01-10-2014 09:56PM

Is Tony Mc Loughlin still alive? He got elected and done a Kaiser Soze on it, haven't heard sight nor sound of him since. He surfaces like the other Ballymote gombeen for photos every now and then but has he actually done anything for the town? If he has, I must be moving in the wrong circles as I've heard nahthin.

red sean · 01-10-2014 10:44PM

Plazaman wrote: »

Is Tony Mc Loughlin still alive? He got elected and done a Kaiser Soze on it, haven't heard sight nor sound of him since. He surfaces like the other Ballymote gombeen for photos every now and then but has he actually done anything for the town? If he has, I must be moving in the wrong circles as I've heard nahthin.

And we have'nt heard much from the other fellow either!
But in fairness, backbench TD's are usually working on constituents issues rather than big national issues at any time. And we have no idea of their workload. We, as a nation, love to blame someone else (particularly politicians) for lack of everything, but do nothing about it ourselves.

I agree with whatswhat, that our biggest probllem is lack of promotion of our area and it's fantastic natural resources.
Also, I'd prefer if we had a huge shopping centre (ala the Treasury project) in the centre of town and get footfall back in there. By moving FMCG stores out to the suburbs is going to stop a lot of potential business from coming in to the centre of town altogether. This will then have a serious effect on the indigenous businesses who have survived down through the years, irrespective of recessions.
Giving life to the centre of town is, to me , imperative to the whole survival of the town as a major centre of the NW.

A good choice of shops and incorporated car parking will lift the area immensely. Couple that with proper promotion of our tourism and excellent food ingredient resources and the people will come. So will the jobs and the money.

Is the North West being left behind.

Comments