County suffers as IDA concentrates energies on city jobs

Date Published: 10-Nov-2010

The Government Minister responsible for job creation has effectively admitted that the IDA is prioritising Galway city as opposed to the rural towns and employment blackspots around the county when it comes to attracting potential investors.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation Batt O’Keeffe acknowledged in the Dail this week that – while the IDA had brought 58 investors, both national and international, to the city – there was not a single visit to vacant industrial parks in rural County Galway.

And that admission led one rural Deputy to accuse the IDA of giving preferential treatment to Galway city at the expense of rural towns around the county.

The Minister’s response was on foot of a query about the empty 27 acre business and technology park in Tuam and how many potential employers were brought to view it – the answer was none.

And it has been claimed that the same is true of the other towns in County Galway with the focus being on Galway city when it comes to job creation.

Minister O’Keeffe confirmed that there were visits from almost 60 potential investors to Galway city – but not one to the rural parts of the county.

The same Minister was in Galway city earlier this week the announce the creation of 50 new jobs in a market research company called Industrial Info Resources Inc which is establishing its European base here.

But that is cold comfort to those promoting job creation in towns like Tuam, Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Gort and Clifden who now feel ‘out in the cold’ when it comes to support from the IDA.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.