The drive to spread job creation outside of Dublin continues as a new project target is revealed: 135,000 jobs by 2020.
Under a new initiative by the Irish Government, rural regions of the country are hoped to be the beneficiaries of a bounty of new jobs.
By supporting enterprise and employment, managing transport better, and improving infrastructure and connectivity, the current Government hopes that, by the decade’s end, things will be rosier outside of the capital.
This will be achieved, according to a plan released today (23 January), by taking hundreds of separate, but often complementary, actions.
Around €50m will be invested in job growth over the next three years, with Minister for Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys, TD, targeting “collaborative approaches to job creation in the regions”.
That will see IDA visits to all regions outside of the capital rise, one would expect, with a target of a 40pc increase in FDI into these regions by 2020 being the ultimate aim.
Also included in the plan is the development of an Atlantic Economic Corridor to drive jobs and investment along the western seaboard.
€60m will be invested into rejuvenating regional towns to make them more desirable to live in. Should this work, alongside the push for job creation, it could make things easier on rural Ireland.
Already this year, plans for a multimillion-euro solar panel project has been announced, delivering dozens of jobs to the country.
Elsewhere, 50 new jobs are to be created in Athlone by Aerie Pharmaceuticals, which has entered into a lease agreement with the IDA to establish a new manufacturing plant.
Looking for jobs in tech or science? Check out our Employer Profiles for information on companies hiring right now and sign up for our Career Republic e-zine for a weekly digest of sci-tech careers news and advice.
