External Competitiveness, Internal Cohesion Southern & Eastern Regional Needs Analysis 2007-13 Brendan Kearney and Associates February 2006 EXTERNAL COMPETITIVENESS, INTERNAL COHESION S& E REGIONAL NEEDS ANALYSIS 2007-13 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 IRELAND’S DRIVING REGION................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 NEW INVESTMENT PERIOD 2007-13 ........................................................................................................ 1 1.3 PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS............................................................................................. 2 1.4 METHOD, SCOPE AND WORK PROGRAMME ............................................................................................. 3 1.5. WORK PROGRAMME ................................................................................................................................5 1.6 REPORT STRUCTURE................................................................................................................................7 2. REGIONAL PROFILE AND TRENDS.....................................................................................................8 2.1 INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................ 8 2.2 AREA AND SPATIAL STRUCTURE ............................................................................................................. 8 2.3 DEMOGRAPHIC STRUCTURE................................................................................................................... 13 2.4 LABOUR FORCE ..................................................................................................................................... 16 2.5 REGIONAL ECONOMY ............................................................................................................................ 23 2.6 INCOMES AND LIVING STANDARDS ....................................................................................................... 27 2.7 EQUALITY AND INCLUSION.................................................................................................................... 31 2.8 ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ............................................................................................................. 37 2.9 THE REGION IN AN EU CONTEXT................................................................................................................. 41 2.10 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 57 3. ECONOMIC OUTLOOK AND SCENARIOS........................................................................................ 59 3.1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................... 59 3.2 ESRI COUNTRY-LEVEL MEDIUM-TERM REVIEW................................................................................... 59 3.3 THE SOUTHERN & EASTERN REGION IN NATIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH............................................. 61 3.4 DRIVERS OF FUTURE REGIONAL GDP PER CAPITA ................................................................................ 63 3.5 IMPLICATIONS OF PROJECTIONS FOR THE REGION ................................................................................. 64 3.6 CONCLUSIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 66 4. ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE .........................................................................................................67 4.1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................... 67 4.2 ROADS................................................................................................................................................... 67 4.3 PUBLIC TRANSPORT............................................................................................................................... 76 4.4 AIR TRANSPORT .................................................................................................................................... 81 4.5 PORTS.................................................................................................................................................... 86 4.6 WATER SERVICES ................................................................................................................................. 91 4.7 WASTE ................................................................................................................................................ 100 4.8 ENERGY............................................................................................................................................... 109 4.9 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY ........................................................................ 114 4.10 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 128 EXTERNAL COMPETITIVENESS, INTERNAL COHESION S&E REGIONAL NEEDS ANALYSIS 2007-13 5. SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE........................................................................................................... 130 5.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................... 130 5.2 HOUSING ............................................................................................................................................. 130 5.3 HEALTH............................................................................................................................................... 137 5.4 ARTS AND CULTURE, SPORT AND LEISURE.......................................................................................... 146 5.5 URBAN RENEWAL................................................................................................................................ 155 5.6 CHILDCARE ......................................................................................................................................... 162 5.7 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 169 6. PRODUCTIVE SECTOR AND RTDI ................................................................................................... 170 6.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................... 170 6.2 MANUFACTURING AND INTERNATIONALLY TRADED SERVICES........................................................... 170 6.3 TOURISM ............................................................................................................................................. 181 6.4 RTDI................................................................................................................................................... 188 6.5 AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT......................................................................................... 196 6.6 SEA FISHERIES..................................................................................................................................... 204 6.7 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 209 7. HUMAN RESOURCES AND CAPACITY – BUILDING ................................................................... 211 7.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................... 211 7.2 HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT..................................................................................................... 211 7.3 LOCAL DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................................................ 220 7.4 CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 227 8. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................. 229 8.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................... 229 8.2 REGIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND SWOT.............................................................................................. 229 8.3 OUTLINE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2007-13.................................................................... 234 8.4 INVESTMENT PRIORITISATION ............................................................................................................. 239 8.5 MANAGEMENT AND DELIVERY ISSUES ................................................................................................ 247 ANNEX 1 SOUTHERN & EASTERN REGION - REGIONAL PLANNING GUIDELINES SUMMARY ANNEX 2 BENCHMARKING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE S&E'S UNIVERSITIES ANNEX 3 A KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY ANNEX 4 BADEN WÜRTTEMBURG CASE