The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Dole queues shorten as signs of recovery emerge
WHILE the ‘recovery’ so often mentioned by the Government is still concentrated in Dublin and Cork the last 12 months have seen some improvements in Kerry.
Perhaps the most obvious sign of the county’s slowly improving economic fortunes are the number of the new businesses that have opened across the county in recent months.
Killarney and Tralee, in particular, have seen a large number of new businesses opening – including the return of some casualties of the recession – and while there are still a significant number of vacant premises in both towns, the county’s main high streets are noticeably busier.
A less apparent but far more important sign that there are some economic green shoots emerging across the county are the live register figures that have been released in recent months.
These show a sharp fall in the number of unemployed people in Kerry and in September the number of people signing on in Kerry fell to its lowest level since before the 2008 economic collapse.
The September Live Register Figures published by the Central Statistics Office showed there were 8,058 people signing on in Kerry that month.
That was the lowest figure recorded in the county since May 2008, just months before the crash. From June 2008 on, live register figures continuously soared upwards month by month, peaking at 17,313 in February 2011.
The September 2017 live register tally also represented a drop of 653 on the previous month and a fall of 1,403 on the previous year.
Such a dramatic reduction of Kerry’s dole queues is certainly good news but it should also be looked at with a degree of caution.
The figures do not reveal if these people came off the social welfare list in Kerry because they found a job or because they emigrated or moved elsewhere in Ireland.
Similarly, it is possible that a large number are not in full-time employment and are taking part in a work activation scheme or internship.
Given that there have been no major job announcements in the county in the last year – save for the creation of 50 new posts at the Borg Warner plant in Tralee last April – it is likely that many of those that did find work did so with new or gradually expanding small and medium businesses.
Incidentally, it should also be noted that the creation of the 50 new jobs at IDA backed Borg Warner was offset in November by the temporary lay-offs of 30 contract staff at the Tralee car heater plant.
Borg Warner has stressed that the job losses are temporary – the result of a short term reduction in a customers order – and they hope to have staffing numbers back to their previous level by early 2018.
As well as supporting existing clients in Kerry, the IDA has also been busy at Kerry Technology Park where the state body has completed construction of a new €5 million ‘advanced manufacturing facility’.
The IDA – frequently criticised for the lack of potential investors to Kerry – has, so far, brought eight potential tenants to inspect the facility which they hope to see occupied by the middle of 2018.
Whether that comes to pass remains to be seen but the IDA insist they are committed to finding a tenant for the building as soon as possible.
Doubtless, given the cost of the building, the IDA will also begin to feel political heat if a tenant can’t be found relatively soon.
The year came to a close with news of a massive State investment in five major projects in the county.
As part of its regional development plan, the Government announced that it will pump around €6 million into a global
agri-tech centre of excellence in Causeway; a RDI innovation hub in Killorglin; Tralee based industry promotional group SciTech; a media innovation hub in Dingle and a digital hub in Sneem.
Kerry is one of the single biggest beneficiaries of this latest round of Government funding. The projects themselves also involve some of Kerry’s leading companies and most prominent organisations.
Dairymaster will develop the agri-tech training and research centre in conjunction with Institute of Technology Tralee, while Fexco will be responsible for the development of the RDI hub in Killorglin.
The five projects should give a tremendous boost to the county. The RDI hub alone is expected to eventually house some 300 staff while the Mol Teic facility in Dingle is expected to generate around 200 jobs over the next five years.
Kerry County Council played a key role in securing the multi-million Euro funding package which is a major victory for Kerry and should provide a huge economic boost to the entire county.
Another council project that should help stimulate the economy is the new dedicated ‘Destination Kerry’ tourism brand that has been developed for the local authority.
Launched just this month, the new brand identity – which incorporates the county’s most iconic and significant features and characteristics from its scenery and landscape to the arts and culture, sport – will be used to market the county at home and abroad.
At the launch of the new brand, council Chief Executive Moira Murrell explained why it was necessary and how it will benefit the county.
“Marketing and promoting our wonderful county is absolutely critical in a competitive international market. But to do that, you need to have a very clear, attractive and resilient brand which stands out from the crowd,” she said.
“I believe that the new Destination Kerry brand will give us great additionality from a marketing perspective and complement other well-known brands like the Wild Atlantic Way. It provides us with the tools to promote Kerry to a national audience within Ireland and to an international audience overseas,’ said Moria Murrell.