MORE than €9 million is available to deliver five ‘game changer’ projects across Limerick, Clare and Tipperary as part of a new Regional Enterprise Plan launched by Business and Enterprise Minister Heather Humphreys on Wednesday.
Among the five strategic objectives is a strategy to make the Mid-West Ireland’s leading Smart City-Region and to achieve progress toward a low carbon economy in the region.
The plan also seeks to develop workforce skills and enhance the region’s attractiveness for workers as well as developing the capacity to deliver economic growth and building a coordinated regional messaging brand.
The development of the Mid-West Plan was overseen by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and a committee of regional stakeholders chaired by Barry O’Sullivan of Castletroy-based Johnson & Johnson Vision who will be responsible for its implementation.
Speaking at the launch, Mr O’Sullivan said the regional committee was delighted with the success of the Mid-West Action Plan for Jobs, with 18,800 more people in employment now compared to when the plan was launched.
“The Action Plan for Jobs has given us a framework for collaboration across public and private partners, which were leveraged to secure over €9.4 million from the Regional Enterprise Development Fund to deliver five new innovative game changer projects across the region.
“The continuation of this crucial regional initiative by Minister Humphreys through the publication of the new Mid-West Regional Enterprise Plan reaffirms government’s commitment to regional growth.”
“The new Mid-West Regional Enterprise Plan is focused on working toward our vision for the Mid-West region to be Ireland’s leading ‘Inclusive Smart City-Region’, utilising our unique asset base, converting emerging opportunities to jobs and continually up-skilling people, to ensure both enterprise and citizens have equal access to opportunities for growth,” Mr O’Sullivan concluded.
Minister Humphreys said that the plan sets out a number of key strategic areas where regional stakeholders will provide a basis for future enterprise development and job creation that is sustainable in the longer term.
“There are over 14,700 more people at work in the Mid-West today than at the beginning of 2015, when the Government first launched its regional jobs plans, and the unemployment rate has reduced significantly to 5.6 per cent from 12 per cent in 2015.
“Notwithstanding this huge success, it is clear that there are new challenges emerging for enterprises in the external environment. Through this plan, the region can adopt a leadership position by driving initiatives from the ground-up.
“As part of Project Ireland 2040, the Government has introduced a range of new funding streams such as the €1 billion Rural Regeneration Fund, the €2 billion Urban Development Fund, the €500 million Climate Action Fund and the €500 million Disruptive Technologies Fund,” Minister Humphreys said.
County Limerick Fine Gael TD and Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan said he was confident that the Mid-West Regional Enterprise Plan will build on the excellent collaborative spirit evident in the region.
“I am delighted to see an emphasis in the plan on the challenges and opportunities for Ireland in all regions, through ongoing digitalisation and the transition to a low carbon economy.
“This new plan will support resilience in businesses and in communities and will also ensure that there is a pipeline of new opportunities so that the Mid-West region can positively engage with changes that lie ahead,” Minister O’Donovan added.
