Thekeyissuesare aboutinvestment
JOBS, investment, social housing and infrastructure are the key issues on the door steps as canvassing gets underway in earnest ahead of the General Election on February 26th.
While there has been the promise of new schools ( Ursuline and Gaelscoil) along with a new Garda Station over the past couple of months by the outgoing coalition the electorate of Sligo/ Leitrim will no doubt be focusing on what has actually come into the constituency over the past five years.
Major projects remain outstanding and there is disappointment across all sectors with the failure to complete some badly needed projects in Sligo.
While there’s a definite economic recovery, there’s a sense this will eventually lift all boats as it were, but so far this trickle effect has made no appreciable difference to many urban centres like Sligo away from the east coast.
There’s no doubt the retail sector has got a pounding in Sligo with several high profile closures around the town over the past 12 months or so. This malaise has also affected the pub trade with a couple of publicans closing their doors for the last time.
High rents, rates, lack of footfall and an increase in online shopping are often factors cited when retail premises close. However, a healthy retail sector in a town or city is also a by product of a thriving local economy.
The recent closure of Elanco with the loss of 100 jobs certainly is a major blow in a sector that is crying out for investment.
Sligo badly needs investment either by IDA Ireland or Enterprise Ireland. Jobs need to be created in the constituency but Sligo is not alone in this call and it must compete with similar calls from other large towns and cities away from Dublin such as Mullingar, Longford and Athlone to name just a few, and many of which have better transport links to the capital.
That’s where good old fashioned political clout is needed at the cabinet table. Are any of the candidates standing in Sligo/ Leitrim capable of exerting the influence so badly needed to give the North West the lift it deserves?
Infrastructure is a key consideration before any industry would consider locating here. Unfortunately, Sligo’s main Dublin road from Castlebaldwin to Collooney remains substandard. Its upgrading should have been done long ago. It will be late 2017 before tenders are likely to be issued for the key 14kilometre stretch for upgrading to a dual carriageway.
Broadband is another significant issue particularly in rural county Sligo where coverage is patchy at best. Other key issues include: Housing. There’s an urgent need for significant social housing schemes in Sligo where there over 1,000 families on the waiting list.
Sligo Chamber of Commerce has produced its own list of ‘ What Sligo Needs’ for the election candidates. These include: the N4 upgrade and commitment to a dual carriageway to Mullingar; Completion of the Western Distributor Road and open IDA owned Oakfield site; Complete Eastern Bridge project; Highspeed broadband for all of the county; Begin work on the N17 from Sligo to Charlestown; Complete investment plan for Ireland West Airport; Provide natural gas for the North West and sustain and expand services at Sligo University Hospital. The issues are quite clear with the overriding principle that Sligo urgently needs investment.