CATHAORIELACH OF THE REGIONAL AUTHORITY CALLS FOR URGENT ENTERPRISE AND EMPLOYMENT INTERVENTION IN THE SOUTH-EAST REGION

“The South-East Regional Authority has long been concerned at the relatively weak economic performance of the South-East Region. It is performing poorly when compared to other Irish regions under a range of socio-economic headings”. So stated Cllr. Willie Quinn, Cathaoirleach of the Regional Authority following the September monthly meeting of the Authority at which senior representatives of Enterprise Ireland attended.

The Enterprise Ireland executives briefed the members on their policies and strategies for promoting enterprise and investment in the South-East Region. “At our meeting, the members impressed on the executives the very poor situation in the Region and called on them to intensify their efforts to promote the South-East Region for investment and job creation. I now re-iterate this call for prioritised investment in the Region”, Cllr. Quinn stated.

The most recent unemployment figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the South-East has the highest unemployment rate of the eight Irish regions, currently standing at 18.2%. “This rate is very significantly higher than the national unemployment rate. The Region has suffered some devastating job loss announcements recently, such as at Talk Talk in Waterford and Cordis Corporation in Cashel, Co. Tipperary, to list but two. This simply cannot continue and must be addressed in a coherent, focused and urgent way by the main jobs and enterprise support agencies”, stated Cllr. Quinn.

“I am calling on the Government to deliver balanced regional development and immediately direct all the enterprise promotion and support agencies to make the South-East Region their top priority”, Cllr. Quinn said.

ENDS

27/09/2011

Further information from:

-          Cllr. Willie Quinn, Cathaoirleach, South-East Regional Authority

059-9773500 or 086-1659115

“I am shocked and saddened by the announcement that Talk Talk will be closing its Waterford City call centre within the next month resulting in 575 job losses. This is a devastating blow to the staff at the facility and is another huge hit to the local and regional economy”, stated Cllr. Willie Quinn, Cathaoirleach of the South-East Regional Authority, in reaction to the announcement today by the company that it will be closing the call centre.

The Regional Authority Cathaoirleach said that these job losses will have a severe impact on the South-East which has not yet come to terms with many other recent redundancies. Cllr. Quinn stated: “The closure of this facility must be viewed in the context of the South-East Region’s loss of a significant number of jobs in recent times and the ongoing poor employment performance of the Region”.

The most recent unemployment figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the South-East has the highest unemployment rate of the eight Irish regions, currently standing at 17.2%. “This rate is very significantly higher than the national unemployment rate. This region is not getting the attention it deserves from government and the industrial development agencies. This simply cannot continue and must be addressed in a coherent, focused and urgent way by the main jobs and enterprise support agencies”, stated Cllr. Quinn.

Senior executives from IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland and Forfás attended a recent meeting of the Regional Authority and briefed the members on their policies and strategies for promoting enterprise and investment in the South-East Region. “At that meeting, the members impressed on the executives the very poor situation in the Region and called on them to intensify their efforts to promote the South-East Region for investment and job creation. I now re-iterate this call for prioritised investment in the Region”, Cllr. Quinn stated.

The Regional Authority has consistently identified and articulated the deficiencies, development needs and investment priorities of the region and the Authority has been working with the various public and private sector bodies in the region to develop and implement strategies to address the region’s socio-economic problems.

Cllr. Quinn commented that he sympathised with the employees of Talk Talk, many of who have been working in the call centre for a number of years, in losing their jobs. “I am calling on the Government to deliver balanced regional development and immediately direct all the enterprise promotion and support agencies to make the South-East Region their top priority”, he said.

ENDS
07/09/2011
________________________________________ ________________________________________

Further information from:
- Cllr. Willie Quinn, Cathaoirleach, South-East Regional Authority
059-9773500 or 086-1659115
- Mr. Thomas Byrne, Director, South-East Regional Authority
052-6126200

Entrepreneurship Must be Embedded at all Levels of Education System – SERA

Ireland’s education system must be reformed to ensure entrepreneurial skills and an understanding of entrepreneurship are fostered in students of all ages.  That’s according to the South-East Regional Authority (SERA), which today (29.04.11) held the inaugural awards ceremony for its ‘Generation Next’ entrepreneurship competition in Waterford City. 

At the awards ceremony, the outcomes of a number of research studies conducted by SERA as part of its involvement in an EU part-funded ‘Youth Entrepreneurship Strategies’ (YES) project were showcased.  These included reports on third-level students’ attitudes to entrepreneurship and a mapping of entrepreneurship teaching at all levels of the education system. 

Speaking at the event, Cllr. John Cummins, Cathaoirleach of SERA, said the research shows there is a strong desire for entrepreneurship education amongst students in Ireland and that the Government must take immediate steps to address deficits in the teaching of the subject. 

“In the past, the teaching of entrepreneurship has been linked to business-related modules and has been more prominent at second and third levels,” he said.  “What we would like to see is the embedding of entrepreneurship and the fostering of entrepreneurial skills across all subjects and all levels of the education system. 

“Our work on the YES project has demonstrated that students of all ages are very keen to develop entrepreneurial skills.  However, they are being hampered because Ireland doesn’t have a national Entrepreneurship Education Strategy and there has been a lack of high-level policy commitments to both entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship itself in the past.  As a result, Ireland scores badly – in comparison to our European neighbours – when it comes to students’ engagement with entrepreneurship education.  At third level, for example, only 12 per cent of students engage with entrepreneurship education, compared with 16 per cent in the UK and an EU-wide average of 24 per cent.

“The new Government is well placed to address these deficits.  The Minister for Education and Skills indicated earlier this week that he aims to roll out a remodelled Junior Cert next September: this presents a perfect opportunity to embed entrepreneurship education across the second-level curriculum.  But there is also a need for more supports at third level and primary level too.”

The mapping research launched by SERA today found there is no specific entrepreneurship education subject in the primary-school syllabus.  It also highlighted the lack of a national framework for entrepreneurship education institutionally, which would support education and practice among staff and students at all levels and across all disciplines.  The research found relatively little evidence of organisational and institutional commitment – particularly in the higher education sector – to encouraging or developing entrepreneurship teaching or learning practice.  

In a separate research project, a survey conducted amongst third-level students showed a strong desire for more entrepreneurial teaching, particularly in the form of dedicated entrepreneurial classes.  Six hundred students across Ireland’s 28 third-level institutions were surveyed, and key findings included:

• Two-thirds of students feel the education system does not do enough to encourage entrepreneurship.
• 60 per cent of students have had some entrepreneurial teaching as part of their third-level education, but there is a strong desire for more entrepreneurial education, particularly in the form of a dedicated class or module in entrepreneurship. 
• One in four students believe they will become self-employed within the next 10 years, and almost half of those who have had entrepreneurial teaching believe they are more likely to start their own business due to the teaching.   
• Students see independency and financial gain as the main drivers of entrepreneurship.  The main barriers identified are lack of commercialised ideas, finances or business competences; not being willing to take financial risk; and the current economic climate. 
• The most mentioned suggestions for the improvement of entrepreneurial teaching are more experience from the ‘real world’; more hours / classes; and specific information on how to start businesses in particular fields of study. 

‘Generation Next’ Competition
In addition to the launch of the research reports, the winners of the inaugural ‘Generation Next’ competition were unveiled at today’s awards ceremony.  ‘Generation Next’ was developed by SERA through its involvement in the YES project and is aimed at introducing entrepreneurship to primary-school children.  It is supported by the nationwide network of County and City Enterprise Boards. 

For the competition, third-level students were invited to submit ideas – under either a ‘Lesson Plan’ category or a ‘Teaching Aid / Tool’ category – on how to introduce entrepreneurship as a subject in primary-school classrooms.  At today’s ceremony, 25-year-old Cian Ó Lorcáin won the ‘Lesson Plan’ category.  His suggested lesson centres on using an updated version of the ancient Aesop’s Fable of ‘The Miser’ to encourage children to think about saving, spending and investing money.  Mr. Ó Lorcáin is a student of Communications at NUI Galway and is originally from Listowel, Co. Kerry.

Natalie Power from Castlebridge, Co. Wexford, and Carol Tompkins from Tinahely, Co. Wicklow – both of whom are 20 years old and studying Business at Waterford IT – won the ‘Teaching Aid / Tool’ category.  Their entry, ‘Kidz Buzzness’, is a toolbox for use in the classroom, packed full of fun ‘tools’ – including toy money – and instructions for pupils on setting up and running their own classroom-based ‘enterprises’.  In addition to winning the ‘Teaching Aid / Tool’ category, this entry was also awarded the ‘Grand Prix’ prize for best overall entry.  The girls were presented with their ‘Grand Prix’ prize by leading entrepreneur Sean Gallagher – of ‘Dragon’s Den’ fame – who is the Ambassador for the ‘Generation Next’ competition.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Gallagher said: “I’ve been working with SERA on the ‘Generation Next’ competition since the start of this year and I think it’s a great initiative.  We all know that more is needed to encourage students at all levels to develop their entrepreneurial skills.  What’s great about this competition is that the end result is focused on introducing practical tools and lesson plans into primary schools, but the competition also engages third-level students in developing these ideas and getting them thinking about enterprise and entrepreneurship education.  I was really impressed with the winning entries and I hope to see them being used in primary schools throughout Ireland in the coming years.”

SERA will work with the network of County and City Enterprise Boards and other stakeholders over the coming months to take forward the winning entries in ‘Generation Next’, with a view to having them implemented within the primary-level sector.  Further information about the competition is available at www.generationnext.ie. 

ENDS

Contact: Dermot Ryan / Martina Quinn, DHR Communications, Tel: 086-6002306 / 087-6522033

Notes:
The South-East Regional Authority is a partner in the EU INTERREG IVC part-funded project ‘Youth Entrepreneurship Strategies’ (YES) project, involving eight regions from eight EU member states. The project runs from January 2010 to December 2012 and SERA is collaborating with the Network of County and City Enterprise Boards in the project’s implementation in Ireland.   The overall objective of the YES project is to improve policies at national, regional and / or local level regarding the integration of entrepreneurial teaching into the education system. 

Further information about SERA is available at: www.sera.ie.  Further information about the YES project is available at: www.young-entrepreneurs.eu.

The Chairman of the South-East Regional Authority, Councillor John Cummins has expressed his concern over what he calls "inadequate Cystic Fibrosis services at Waterford Regional Hospital". The hospital currently caters for approximately thirty paediatric patients and five or six adult patients.

“The 2009 preliminary registry states that there are at least 95 people with Cystic Fibrosis patients in the South-East. There could well be far more as the national register only accounts for 89% of CF sufferers. This clearly illustrates that patients are choosing to bypass paediatric services at WRH because the hospital is under resourced and bypassing adult services because they are virtually non-existent despite having an excellent CF consultant in place” stated Cllr. Cummins.

“The people of the South-East should be able to access proper CF services in the Region and not have to travel to Cork, Limerick and Dublin for treatment when they could easily be treated in their own regional hospital, but for inadequate facilities and low staffing levels” continued Cllr. Cummins.

Cllr. Cummins expressed his dissatisfaction with the Health Service Executive (2009) report which stated that WRH should not be a specialist centre despite the independent Pollock report (2005) clearly indicating that WRH should be a designated specialist centre catering for an equal number of adult and paediatric patients along with Cork, Limerick, Galway and the four Dublin Hospitals. "The reports show two clearly conflicting recommendations. I cannot help but ask is this only a coincidence or is it a case of vested interests within the Health Service Executive; given that there were no South-East representatives from the South-East on the working group” stated Cllr. Cummins.

Cllr. Cummins concluded by saying "On one hand the HSE are saying that WRH will expand its adult Cystic Fibrosis services as patient numbers increase but on the other hand they are saying you do not have the patients to merit Specialist status which would increase the resources available. Facilities and staffing levels specific to Cystic Fibrosis such as a Specialist Registrar, Physiotherapist, Dietician etc. must be improved at Waterford Regional Hospital as a matter of urgency”.

ENDS.
21 April 2011

Further information from:   Cllr. John Cummins
(087) 9205729

Mr. Tom Byrne, Director
(052) 61 26200

“The opening of the final section of the M9 motorway from Dublin to Waterford is a tremendous development for the South-East region”, so stated Cllr. John Cummins, Cathaoirleach of the South-East Regional Authority, following the official opening today of the final section of the M9, a 40km link between Carlow and Knocktopher, Co. Kilkenny, by the Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey, T.D.

“The completed M9 motorway is absolutely crucial to the current and future economic, social and cultural development of the region”, outlined Cllr. Cummins. “The Regional Authority had consistently over a long period of time lobbied the Government and the national agencies charged with construction of road infrastructure for its development and so we are particularly delighted to see its completion”.

“The M9 motorway will significantly improve access to strategic regional services such as Belview Port, the Institutes of Technology in Waterford and Carlow, Waterford Regional Airport and a number of key tourist destinations in the region”, added Cllr. Cummins.

The Regional Authority has, since its establishment in 1994, consistently identified and articulated the region’s overall development needs and investment priorities to Government and the enterprise support agencies.

“The road transportation links of the other key economic corridors in the region, including the M11/N11 Wexford-Dublin route, the N24 Waterford-Limerick corridor and the N25 Rosslare-Cork route, need to be improved and developed and it is critically important for the economic well-being of the region that these routes be prioritised now by the National Roads Authority and Minister for Transport for immediate upgrading in the post-2010 Roads Programme”, stated Cllr. Cummins.

ENDS          09.09.2010
_____________________________________________________________________
Further information from:
- Cllr. John Cummins, Cathaoirleach, South-East Regional Authority - (087) 9205729
- Mr. Thomas Byrne, Director, South-East Regional Authority - (052) 6126200

“The South-East Regional Authority strenuously opposes the decision of the National Transport Authority (NTA) to approve the proposal of Irish Rail to cease passenger services on the Rosslare to Waterford railway line”, so stated Cllr. John Cummins, Cathaoirleach of the Regional Authority, in response to confirmation from the NTA of their decision today on Irish Rail’s proposal.

The Regional Authorities in the South-East and the Mid-West, together with their ten constituent local authorities, had made a formal submission to the NTA forcefully opposing the proposal of Irish Rail to cease passenger services on the Rosslare to Waterford railway line.  Irish Rail required the approval of the NTA to terminate the passenger service on the line.

The two Regional Authorities, the city councils of Waterford and Limerick and the eight county councils in the regions had joined together to strongly resist the closure of the Rosslare-Waterford section of the railway line that links the Rosslare Europort (which is, ironically, owned and operated by Irish Rail) with Waterford, Limerick and onwards to the South-West and the West.

“This decision by the NTA to approve closure of the line is incredible as the proposed closure is contrary to a whole range of public policies designed to promote public transport and more sustainable and environmentally friendly travel. The decision will exacerbate the already strong and widespread anger felt across the South-East and Mid-West regions”, said Cllr. Cummins.

With the assistance of international consultants the regional authorities had carried out a detailed analysis of the usage and management of the line and an assessment of its future potential given better promotion, marketing and operation. A socio-economic and business case for the maintenance and promotion of the line had been prepared and submitted by the Authorities to the NTA in support of the case for rejection of Irish Rail’s application to close the line and for its continued operation.  The submission put forward a number of innovative suggestions and recommendations for keeping the line open and for increasing its appeal and usage for passenger traffic into the future.  A key recommendation was the establishment of a Community Rail Partnership, a concept that involves the rail operator partnering with the local authorities and local communities to operate, promote and market the railway and its services.  The community rail partnership approach has been successfully adopted for several lightly used rail lines in the UK.

“The Rosslare-Waterford line is a key element of the South-East region’s transport infrastructure”, stated Cllr. Cummins, adding, “this is an ill-considered, short-sighted decision that flies in the face of a range of public policies, such as the National Spatial Strategy which promotes more balanced regional development, ‘Smarter Travel’, which advocates sustainable travel and the National Climate Change Strategy that urges switching from road to rail and from cars to public transport”.

“Why is the South-East region being treated differently to other regions where new rail lines have been opened? The South-East will clearly be further disadvantaged and marginalised by this decision”, outlined Cllr. Cummins.

“I, on behalf of my Authority and the residents of the South-East region, will immediately be seeking a meeting with the Minister for Transport to outline the Authority’s complete opposition to this decision and to seek its total reversal”, stated Cllr. Cummins. “In addition, I have requested a representative from the NTA to attend the September meeting of the Regional Authority to explain its decision to allow Irish Rail to cease passenger services on the line”.

ENDS
03.09.2010
_____________________________________________________________________

Further information from:
- Cllr. John Cummins, Cathaoirleach, South-East Regional Authority - (087) 9205729
- Mr. Thomas Byrne, Director, South-East Regional Authority - (052) 6126200

The South-East Regional Authority, at their meeting held on 26th July 2010, made new Regional Planning Guidelines (RPG) for the South-East Region covering the period 2010-2022.

The making of the new RPG followed a review and update of the Guidelines made in 2004, which the new RPG now replace.  The process involved a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, a Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment under the requirements of the EU Habitats Directive.  An extensive public consultation was undertaken by the Regional Authority in relation to the review.

The RPG are intended to provide a long term strategic planning framework for implementation of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) and for the future sustainable development of the South-East Region.

The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act, 2010, an aim of which is to ensure a closer alignment between the NSS, RPG, development plans and local area plans, requires that local authority development plans and local area plans be consistent with the RPG.

REGIONAL AUTHORITY PROMOTES THE CO-ORDINATED DEVELOPMENT OF THE WATERFORD ESTUARY

“The Waterford Estuary has the potential to be a significant economic driver for the entire South-East region. In addition, the Estuary has a role as an amenity and ecological resource for an expanding and increasingly developed Waterford city and region.  The maximisation of this amenity potential and unique setting for the benefit of all will be a challenge”, so stated Cllr. Thomas Kinsella, Cathaoirleach of the Regional Authority, today (Thursday 20th May) at a conference in Waterford City organised by the South-East Regional Authority as part of the European Union’s European Maritime Day 2010.
 
“It is the Regional Authority’s objective that today’s proceedings will promote the development of a strategic methodology and framework for the sustainable coordinated development and management of the Estuary,” added Cllr. Kinsella.

The European Maritime Day is now an annual event with the key stakeholder event taking place this year in Gijón, Spain under the Spanish Presidency of the European Union. Innovation for sustainable growth of maritime sectors and coastal regions is its main focus. In addition, events are being organised across the EU in parallel with the Gijón event, the Regional Authority’s event in Waterford City being one of them.

“Maritime affairs have significant importance in the South-East – think of our major freight and passenger ports at Rosslare, New Ross and Waterford; our fishing industry; our rivers and lakes, our coastal areas in counties Wexford and Waterford. Only very recently we saw how this association was reinforced through the successful campaign to retain the Region’s full-time coastguard service at Waterford Regional Airport” commented Cllr. Kinsella.
 
“The Estuary faces many challenges and pressures and today’s proceedings will show how marine spatial planning can assist and facilitate consultation between competing interests, co-ordinated development and integrated management approaches”, stated Cllr. Kinsella. 

________________________________________ ________________________________________

Further information from:
- Cllr. Thomas Kinsella, Cathaoirleach, South-East Regional Authority
 (059) 9775398 (087) 9377386
- Mr. Thomas Byrne, Director, South-East Regional Authority
 (052) 6126200

Presentations from Conference

( 2,876 kbs) Dr. Shane O'Boyle - EPA
( 827 kbs) Mr. Michael Walsh - Waterford City Council
( 566 kbs) Mr. Micheal O'Briain - European Commission
( 4,357 kbs) Mr. Stan McIlvenny - Port of Waterford
( 8,006 kbs) Mr. Steve Conlon - Irish Marine Federation
( 717 kbs) Mr. Tom Byrne - SERA
( 21 kbs) Mr. Tom Kinsella, Cathaoirleach - SERA
( 3,844 kbs) Ms. Barbara Fogarty - seaChange Management Unit
( 3,041 kbs) Ms. Kaja Curry - Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum

The Regional Authorities in the South-East and the Mid-West, together with their ten constituent local authorities, have made a formal submission to the National Transport Authority (NTA) strenuously opposing the proposal of Irish Rail to cease passenger services on the Rosslare to Waterford railway line.  Irish Rail requires the approval of the NTA to terminate the passenger service on the line.

The two Regional Authorities, the city councils of Waterford and Limerick and the eight county councils in the regions have joined together to strongly oppose the closure of the Rosslare-Waterford section of the railway line that links the Rosslare Europort (which is, ironically, owned and operated by Irish Rail) with Waterford, Limerick and onwards to the South-West and the West.

The decision to seek approval to close the line has provoked strong and widespread anger across the South-East and Mid-West regions.  With the assistance of international consultants the regional authorities have carried out a detailed analysis of the usage and management of the line and an assessment of its future potential given better promotion, marketing and operation.

A socio-economic and business case for the maintenance and promotion of the line has been prepared and submitted by the Authorities to the NTA in support of the case for rejection of Irish Rail’s application to close the line and for its continued operation.  The submission puts forward a number of innovative suggestions and recommendations for keeping the line open and for increasing its appeal and usage for passenger traffic into the future.  A key recommendation is the establishment of a Community Rail Partnership, a concept that involves the rail operator partnering with the local authorities and local communities to operate, promote and market the railway and its services.  The community rail partnership approach has been successfully adopted for several lightly used rail lines in the UK.

“The regional and local authorities in the South-East and Mid-West strongly oppose any attempt by Irish Rail to close the Rosslare-Waterford line, which is a key element of our regions’ transport infrastructure”, stated Cllr. John Cummins, Cathaoirleach of the South-East Regional Authority.  “It is a half-baked, short sighted decision that flies in the face of a range of public policies, such as the National Spatial Strategy which promotes more balanced regional development, ‘Smarter Travel’, which advocates sustainable travel and the National Climate Change Strategy that urges switching from road to rail and from cars to public transport”, Cllr. Cummins said.

It is expected that the NTA will make its decision in September on the Irish Rail application to terminate passenger services on the Rosslare-Waterford line.

( 3,444 kbs) Socio Economic Business Case Rosslare Waterford Limerick Rail Corridor

Waterford City Councillor, John Cummins of Fine Gael has been elected as Cathaoirleach of the South-East Regional Authority for the coming year.  He succeeds Carlow County Councillor, Tom Kinsella (FG) who held the office for the past twelve months.  Cllr. Damien Geoghegan (FG), a member of Waterford County Council, has been elected as Leas-chathaoirleach.

Cllr. John Cummins, who was elected to the Waterford City Council in the June 2009 local elections, becomes the youngest person to hold the office of Cathaoirleach of the Regional Authority.  His father, Senator Maurice Cummins, also served as a member of the Regional Authority from 1994
to 2003.

“I am grateful for being given the honour of serving as Cathaoirleach of the South-East Regional Authority and I look forward to directing the work of the Authority to continue promoting and advancing the socio-economic development of our region over the coming year”, the new Cathaoirleach stated as he assumed the office.

Cllr. Tom Kinsella, Cathaoirleach of the South-East Regional Authority, has expressed deepest sympathy on behalf of the members and staff of the Authority to the McLoughlin family on the untimely death of the late Cllr. Catherine McLoughlin.

Cllr. McLoughlin had been a member of the Regional Authority since 2009 and had been an active contributor to the work of the Authority in many areas, particularly in relation to regional strategic planning and regional and local development.

'Our sincere sympathy goes to her husband, Bob, and her family on their bereavement.  Ar dheis lámh Dé go raibh a anam', said the Cathaoirleach.

REGIONAL AUTHORITY OPPOSES CLOSING OF WATERFORD-ROSSLARE RAIL LINE BY IARNRÓD ÉIREANN

“The South-East Regional Authority strenuously opposes any proposals by Iarnród Éireann and CIÉ to close or downgrade any part of the South-East Region’s rail network”, so stated Cllr. Thomas Kinsella, Cathaoirleach of the Regional Authority, in response to recent media reports that Iarnród Éireann will confirm a decision within the next few weeks to close the Waterford to Rosslare rail line.

“The Authority views the Region’s rail network, which is well developed and which serves all five counties and the five largest urban centres in the region, as a vital strategic transport asset.  As well as providing rail access to the region generally, it also serves the region’s two national ports at Rosslare Harbour and Waterford,” added Cllr. Kinsella.

“The Waterford-Rosslare rail line has been in operation since 1906”, said Cllr. Kinsella. He also stated: “Iarnród Éireann blames the lack of revenue generated to cover the operating costs of the line for the closure, but I believe that this planned closure represents the abject failure of the company to provide an adequate service at times that meet the public need”.

The Regional Authority has, since its establishment in 1994, continually called for the upgrading and improvement of the network.  This position has been forcefully articulated by the Authority in its Regional Strategy. “New rail lines have been opened or are in the pipeline in the South-West and Mid-West regions. Why is the South-East region being treated differently? The region will clearly be disadvantaged and marginalised by this decision”, outlined Cllr. Kinsella.

“I, on behalf of my Authority and the residents of the South-East region, will immediately be seeking a meeting with senior Iarnród Éireann management and with the Minister for Transport to outline the Authority’s opposition to this plan and to seek its complete reversal”, stated Cllr. Kinsella. 

ENDS
16/03/2010

“The South-East Regional Authority strenuously opposes the plans by the Department of Transport to downgrade the Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter service provided at Waterford Regional Airport for the South-East and farther afield”, so stated Cllr. Thomas Kinsella, Cathaoirleach of the Regional Authority in response to media reports that the service is to be reduced by the Department of Transport in 2012 to a 12-hour, daylight only service.

“The Coast Guard helicopter based at Waterford provides a 24/7/365 maritime and coastal rescue service, locating persons in distress or imminent risk, providing immediate medical treatment where required and evacuating them to an appropriate place of safety”, stated Cllr. Kinsella. He continued, “the Department’s decision will mean that there will be no night-time search and rescue helicopter available along the eastern, south-eastern, southern and south-western coasts between Dublin and Shannon”.

“The South-East has witnessed a number of maritime tragedies in recent years and the importance of the search and rescue service cannot be overstated. This is very much a retrograde step on behalf of the Department of Transport and makes very little economic sense if, as reported, this downgrading will result in a mere €1m saving per annum for the Exchequer”, said Cllr. Kinsella.

“I, on behalf of my Authority and the residents of the South-East region, will immediately be seeking a meeting with the Minister for Transport to outline the Authority’s opposition to this plan and to seek its complete reversal”, stated Cllr. Kinsella.

ENDS
15/03/2010

“The South-East Regional Authority calls on the Government to immediately make the South-East Region a priority area for employment creation and industrial investment”.
So stated Cllr. Thomas Kinsella, Cathaoirleach of the South-East Regional Authority, in reaction to recent reports published by the Central Statistics Office - County Incomes and Regional GDP 2007 and Quarterly National Household Survey for Q3/2009.

The GVA figures show that in 2007, GVA per person in the South-East was 73.4% of the State average, which is the 4th lowest of all the regions.

The unemployment figures show that for Q3/2009, the South-East has the highest unemployment rate (15.1%) of the eight Irish.

The disposable income per person in the South-East region was 4.4% below the State average in 2007 – the lowest of the five regions in the Southern and Eastern NUTS II Region.

“The Regional Authority is extremely concerned at the poor performance of the South-East Region and believes that this can only be reversed if the Government, and in particular the Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, together with the IDA and Enterprise Ireland intervene in a positive way”, added Cllr. Kinsella.

Since its establishment, the South-East Regional Authority has been to the forefront in identifying and articulating the deficiencies, development needs and investment priorities of the region. There is a widespread misconception that the South-East Region is a wealthy region and that it is performing well economically. This is clearly not the case as can be seen from the range of regional socio-economic indicators. “Recent high-profile job losses in other parts of the country, whilst very unfortunate, should not reduce the necessity for urgent action to address this region’s economic problems”, said Cllr. Kinsella.

“The Regional Authority demands that the Government honours one of the key objectives in the National Development Plan, i.e. to provide for more balanced regional development. All industrial and enterprise development agencies should be instructed to make the South-East Region their priority,” Cllr. Kinsella stated.

ENDS
4th February 2010

“On behalf of the South-East Regional Authority and the people of South-East Ireland, I offer my deepest sympathy to the Government and people of Haiti and, most especially, to the families of all who lost their lives and were injured in the devastating earthquake that struck that country on 12th January”.

Cllr. Thomas Kinsella, Cathaoirleach of the South-East Regional Authority, in offering sympathy on this global disaster of horrendous proportions spoke of his shock and horror at the unprecedented scale of the loss of life and devastation of the country and of entire communities in Haiti. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this time” he stated.

Cllr. Kinsella urged the Irish government to provide maximum financial and other support for the relief effort and he appealed to the Irish people to give generously to the aid agencies to enable them to help the country to try and recover from this awful catastrophe.

“I know that the people of the South-East will not be found wanting in joining the Irish nation’s contribution towards the international relief effort to deal with the dreadful effects of the Haitian earthquake”, Cllr. Kinsella said.

Cllr. Thomas Kinsella, Cathaoirleach

“The South-East Regional Authority strenuously opposes and disapproves of the recommendation and proposal contained in the “McCarthy Report” to abolish the State’s regional government structure by getting rid of Regional Authorities”, so stated Cllr. Thomas Kinsella, Cathaoirleach of the Regional Authority, following the submission by the South-East Regional Authority of a response on the “McCarthy Report” to the Departments of Finance and Environment, Heritage & Local Government.

“It is clearly recognised in Government policies, discussion documents and particularly in existing and proposed legislation that a development co-ordination role is required at regional level. The established Regional Authorities are the only bodies with any electoral mandate to perform this role, as they have been doing since their inception”, said Cllr. Kinsella. “Since the Planning and Development Act was enacted in 2000 this role has been placed on a firm statutory footing and it is clear from the 2009 Planning and Development Bill, currently being considered by the Oireachtas, that the Government believes that significantly enhanced powers and duties are necessary for Regional Authorities”, continued Cllr. Kinsella.

“The abolition of the Regional Authorities would make no sense in this context, particularly when account is taken of the minimal amount that they cost, the non-exchequer funding that they generate through their EU work and the even more enhanced role that they can play in the future as integrated and co-ordinated activity at regional level becomes more and more necessary to ensure a sustainable and competitive investment environment in the country’s regions”, stated Cllr. Kinsella.

ENDS
20/10/2009

“The N24 Prioritisation Study clearly illustrates the undeniable case for the priority upgrading of the N24 National Primary Route in the NRA’s post-2010 Roads Programme”. So stated Cllr. Paddy O’Callaghan, Cathaoirleach of the Regional Authority, following the unanimous adoption by the South-East Regional Authority of the Report at its meeting held on 26th May in Dungarvan.

“The Regional Authority considers the N24 to be one of the key economic infrastructural drivers of the regional economies of the South-East and Mid-West”, said Cllr. O’Callaghan. “The Authority is aware that the focus at present is on completion of the 5 Major Inter-Urban Routes to Dublin. However, it is critically important for the economic well-being of both regions that the Route is clearly prioritised now by the Minister for Transport and National Roads Authority for immediate upgrading in the post-2010 Roads Programme”, continued Cllr. O’Callaghan.

The Regional Authority has long been concerned at the relatively weak economic performance of the South-East. It is performing poorly when compared to other Irish regions under a range of socio-economic headings. The Regional Authority has consistently identified and articulated the region’s overall development needs and investment priorities.

“This Report, whilst clearly making the case for the N24 as a whole, also recognises that certain sections of the route are under much higher levels of congestion and pressure and calls for these to be constructed firstly. These include the Tipperary Bypass, the Clonmel to Cahir Section, the Carrick-on-Suir Bypass and the Mooncoin Bypass”, outlined Cllr. O’Callaghan.

“We in the South-East Regional Authority will be working with our colleagues in the Mid-West and with the six local authorities whose functional areas the route passes through to ensure that this issue receives the proper focus and attention by the Minister for Transport, the Government and the National Roads Authority. We will furthermore be lobbying the Oireachtas members in both Regions to ensure that priority upgrading is given to the N24”, stated Cllr. O’Callaghan.

ENDS.

11/06/2008

Cllr. Willie Quinn (Labour) from Borris, County Carlow, has been elected Cathaoirleach of the South-East Regional Authority for the coming year.  He succeeds Waterford City Councillor, John Cummins (FG) in the positon.  Cllr. Marie Fitzpatrick (Labour), a member of Kilkenny County Council, has been elected Leas-chathaoirleach.

Cllr. Quinn has been a member of Carlow County Council since 2007.  He is the Chair of the council’s Housing Strategic Policy Committee and a member of its Transport SPC.  He is also a member of the County Carlow Development Partnership Board.

“ I look forward to guiding the work of the Regional Authority in my role as Cathaoirleach over the coming year.  The South-East Region faces many challenges at this time and the Regional Authority has a key role in providing the vision and leadership to ensure that the region’s development needs and priorities are addressed”, Cllr. Quinn stated following his election.

REGIONAL AUTHORITY OFFERS SYMPATHY ON NORWAY SHOOTINGS
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The Cathaoirleach and members of the South-East Regional Authority have conveyed their sympathy and that of the people of the South-East Region to the Norwegian Ambassador to Ireland and to the Norwegian people on the tragic loss of life and injury to innocent victims as a result of the bombing and shooting in Oslo and Utoya Island in July.

The members condemned those violent acts as a despicable attack on democracy, on our society and our values.

His Excellency, Ambassador yrind Nordsletten, in acknowledging receipt of the Authority’s letter, thanked the members for their expression of sympathy and support.

The Ambassador stated:

“We are heartened by the many statements in support of our belief that terrorism must be countered with more openness, democracy, tolerance and integration. From the bitter experience of their own recent history the Irish came to know the consequences of terrorism better than most people. Your words of sympathy, therefore, carry an extra weight. They will not be forgotten.”