Regional Profile
Area of Region
Area as % of State
Population 2006
State
South-East Region
As a % of State Population
Proportion Urban Population
Proportion Rural Population
Population Density (2006)
Population Change 2002-2006
% Increase in Population 2002-2006 9,406sq.kms.
13.5%
4,239.848
460,838
10.9%
44.2%
55.8%
49p/p/sq.Km.
+37,222
+8.8%
Labour Force and Employment - Q2/2009
In Labour Force 238,600 73.1%
All the key socio-economic indicators are based on the most recent figures available. Sources: Central Statistics Office (CSO), NDP/CSF Evaluation Unit, Forfás.
In Employment
Unemployed
Unemployment Rate (State 12%)
Participation Rate (State 62.3%)
GVA Per Capita (2006) (State = 100)
GVA Produced by:
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing
Manufacturing, Building & Construction
Market & Non-Market Services
Disposable Income Per Capita (2006) (State=100)
Industry
Employment in IDA Assisted Companies (2008)
Tourism (2006)
Total no. of Tourists
Domestic Tourists
Overseas Tourists
Total Tourism Revenue
Revenue from Overseas Tourism
Revenue from Domestic Tourism
203,500
35,100
14.7%
61.3%
3.7%
37.0%
59.3%
91.9%
13,250
2m
1,044,000
962,000
€500.4m
€302.5m
€186.2m
Physical Region
The South-East region, although straddling the provincial boundary between Leinster and Munster, is a homogenous and compact geographical entity consisting essentially of the catchment areas of four rivers - the Slaney, the Barrow, the Nore and the Suir. The region comprises the five counties of Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Waterford and Wexford. The region has an area of 9,406 sq. kms. which is about 13.5% of the area of the state. It has a population of 460,838 or about 10.9% of the national population.
The South-East is a region of unrivalled beauty, rich in historic and archaeological treasures and abounding in excellent natural amenities, recreation and leisure facilities. It is a visitor's paradise and it provides its people with a superb natural environment and rich quality of life. Because of the high average daily hours of sunshine that the region enjoys, it is universally known as "The Sunny South-East".
The South-East region is predominantly rural in character with the main urban centres being Waterford City, Kilkenny City and the towns of Carlow, Wexford and Clonmel. The region has a well balanced urban structure with the main urban centre in each of its five counties having a population exceeding 17,000. In addition, it has a range of smaller towns and villages evenly distributed across the region as well as a strong rural settlement pattern. Waterford Waterford
City/Town
County
Population (2006)
Kilkenny
Carlow
Wexford
Clonmel
Tramore
Enniscorthy
Dungarvan
New Ross
Gorey
Carrick-on-Suir
Tipperary
Cahir
Tullow
Cashel
Bagenalstown
Bunclody/Carrickduff
Thomastown
Callan
Castlebridge
Dunmore East
Castlecomer
Kilkenny
Carlow
Wexford
South Tipperary
Waterford
Wexford
Waterford
Wexford
Wexford
South Tipperary
South Tipperary
South Tipperary
Carlow
South Tipperary
Carlow
Wexford/Carlow
Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Wexford
Waterford
Kilkenny49,213
22,179
20,724
18,163
17,008
9,634
9,538
8,362
7,709
7,193
5,906
5,065
3,381
3,048
2,936
2,735
1,863
1,837
1,771
1,624
1,547
1,531
Regional Economy
The regional economy of the South-East is based primarily on agriculture, manufacturing and services, tourism, fishing and aquaculture. The agriculture and food sector accounts for a significant proportion of output and employment, with the region having a higher than average reliance on this sector.
Industry
Like Ireland as a whole, a high proportion of manufacturing industry in the South-East is foreign owned. Overseas industry, which directly employs over 11,000 people in more than 70 enterprises in the region, is concentrated mainly in electronics and precision engineering, pharmaceuticals and healthcare and in international traded services. The principal large companies in the South-East include: Braun Ireland Ltd., Lapple Ireland Ltd., Merck Sharpe & Dohme, Abbot Laboratories (Ireland), Boston Scientific, Clonmel Healthcare, AOL Bertlesman, Bausch & Lomb, Honeywell International Ltd., Hasbro Ltd., Garrett Engine Boosting Systems, IVAX, Glaxo Smithkline, Servier, Genzyme, Lancaster Laboratories, Cordis, Teva, Waters Technologies, Unum, Coca Cola, ABS Pumps, Equifax Database Company, Honeywell, Alza Ireland Ltd., Lake Region Manufacturing Company and Sola ADC Lenses.
The South-East Region is rapidly emerging as a preferred location outside Dublin for the financial services industry. A cluster of financial services companies is developing with a significant presence in Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford. These include such companies as BISYS Hedge Fund Services and Sun Life Financial (Waterford), Deutsche International (Ireland) Limited and State Street (Kilkenny) and PFPC (Wexford).
With a good quality of transport and other economic infrastructure, three Third-level Education Institutes, a young and highly educated labour force, a network of Industrial and Technology Parks available regionwide, the South-East is an attractive region for investment. The region can offer potential investors, both foreign and indigenous, an attractive range of financial and other supports and the benefits of the low Irish corporation taxation regime. The national promotion and support agency for overseas industry is the Industrial Development Agency, and the support agency for indigenous industry is Enterprise Ireland.
In addition, local development and micro-enterprises are supported by a range of agencies, including City/County Enterprise Boards, City/County Development Boards, LEADER and Area Partnership Companies.
Tourism
Tourism continues to be a high growth sector with significant business emerging from the region’s principal markets – Great Britain, the United States and mainland Europe. With good access infrastructure, a wealth of visitor attractions, a high quality environment and a wide range of affordable activities (golf, equestrian, angling, walking, cycling etc.), the South-East is one of Ireland’s most attractive tourist regions. The key issues for Irish tourism have been highlighted as: ‘quality and standards’ and ‘competitiveness and value for money’. In addition, key issues for tourism in the South-East are access, marketing and promotion and an emphasis on ‘corridor tourism’.
Tourism revenue in the South-East stands at €500.4m. Domestic tourism in the region remains strong and generated over 1m visitors during 2006 compared with 962,000 overseas visitors. It is a high growth sector with significant additional business emerging from the region's principal markets - Great Britain, United States and mainland Europe. With good access infrastructure, a wealth of visitor attractions, a high quality environment and a wide range of affordable activities (golf, equestrian, angling, walking, cycling etc.), the South-East is one of Ireland's most attractive tourist regions. Fáilte Ireland - The Irish Tourist Board promotes and supports the development of tourism in Ireland and the its regional office, Fáilte Ireland-South-East does likewise in the region.
Top visitor attractions in the South-East include: County Wexford
County Carlow
Altamont Gardens County Kilkenny
Kilkenny Castle, St. Canice's Cathedral, Jerpoint Abbey, Dunmore Cave County Tipperary
Rock of Cashel, Cahir Castle, Swiss Cottage, Mitchelstown Cave, Ormonde Castle County Waterford
Waterford Treasures, Reginald's Tower 'Dunbrody' Replica Famin Ship, National Heritage Park, Hook Head Lighthouse,
National Agricultural Museum, Tintern Abbey
An Information Age Region
The South-East Regional Authority is proactive in terms of ensuring that the region avails of all opportunities to advance the information society. The Authority has developed an Integrated Regional Information Society Strategy and Action Plan which is currently in its implementation phase with a number of projects and initiatives being promoted. The ‘SEISS’ strategy was the catalyst for the ‘SERPANT’ project which represented a unique exercise in inter-authority and intra-regional co-operation and partnership to provide essential public infrastructure in the form of the construction of optic-fibre broadband telecommunications metropolitan area networks in the region’s six principal cities and towns - Waterford City, Kilkenny City and the towns of Carlow, Clonmel, Wexford and Dungarvan. Metropolitan Area Networks have also been constructed in Cahir, Cashel, Tipperary, Carrick-on-Suir and Thomastown. The Broadband network installed in the region is state of the art and has enhanced the attractiveness of the South-East both for indigenous and foreign-owned enterprises and for the attraction of Foreign Direct Investment.
The Authority manages the building of these broadband networks on behalf of its constituent local authorities and in association with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. For national information see the website of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources at www.dcenr.gov.ie .
