Dundalk most deprived town in the border area
Pat Mcardle (right) presenting his report "Dundalk/newry Cross Border Economic Zone" to Cllr. Marianne Butler, Chairperson of Dundalk Town Council, Paddy Malone, Dundalk Chamber and Cllr. Oliver Tully, Chairman of Louth County Council.
DUNDALK AND Newry have to fight the perception that the north west is the most deprived part of the country, Dundalk Town Council has been told.
The region has so far failed to capitalise on the opportunity presented by the motorway linking Dublin and Belfast, said economist Pat Mcardle.
The former chief economist with Ulster Bank, who has prepared at study on the Newry/dundalk Economic Zone, said that Dundalk is the most deprived town in the border counties in the Republic of Ireland while Newry is the third most deprived town in the North. There was an ingrained perception that Letterkenny and the North West were the most deprived but surveys had shown Sligo and Carrick-on-shannon to be considerably better off.
The challenge was now to show that Dundalk, which also scored lowest of the country's Gateway towns, needs attention, he told those in attendance which included town councillors, county councillors and Senator Jim D'arcy.
While the years of the Celtic Tiger had been the best period in Ireland, there was no evidence of Dundalk catching up as the town stood still relative to the rest of the country.
Cllr Martin Bellew said that the report highlighted what councillors and business people living in Dundalk already knew.
He suggested that the town council hold a workshop along with Louth County Council to see what areas they could push the recommendations forward.
County Manager Mr Conn Murray acknowledged the work being done to promote the case for the Dundalk/newry Economic Zone, saying it was 'never going to be an easy task'. He said the suggestion by Cllr Bellew might be the step to take it forward now that it had been articulated very clearly what the difficulties are.
They were making considerable progress in the relationship with Newry and Mourne and it was important that the information which emerges is accurate and comes from a common voice. It was critical that the move receives political endorsement.
- MARGARET RODDY
