This article is from page 8 of the 2006-07-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
ALMOST 1,800 new jobs were created by Shannon Development in 2005 and there are now almost 20,000 people employed in Shannon Development assisted companies.
That’s according to figures revealed in the development agency’s annual report, which will be officially published today.
The report shows that sales are up 6.5 per cent and exports up by seven per cent. There was €11 million sunk into regional economic infrastructure, most notably with the opening of the Information Age Park in Ennis last year.
Shannon Development spent more than €1 million on tourism marketing in key markets.
The development agency secured more than €4 million in tourism grant aid for product development in the region, leveraging a total investment of over €12.8 million.
The day visitor attractions and evening entertainment run by Shannon Heritage, the Shannon Development tourism subsidiary, proved as popular as ever last year, with more than 620,000 people attending.
The report promises that the Shannon Free Zone’s “strong pipeline” will deliver “significant jobs” this year.
Employment in Shannon Development-assisted companies in December 2005 in the Shannon Free Zone were down 289. But in the region generally, there was a net gain in jobs, with 339 extra posts after job losses and gains were totted up.
Speaking earlier this year, Kevin Thompstone, Chief Executive Shannon Development, said that the “key priority for Shannon Development in 2006 will be delivering on the new mandate given to the company by Government.
“Our strategy will be to maximise the regional economic development potential of the Shannon Region, and thereby contribute to the development of the emerging Atlantic economic counterpole to the east coast.”
Mr Thompstone said that achieving balanced regional development was “both a national goal and a regional imperative, and Shannon Development will continue to press for the speedy implementation of National Spatial Strategy and Transport 21 proposals for this region and for the wider Atlantic Corridor”.
The key targets outlined for the rest of this year for the development company include continuing to “develop a strong focus of vibrant economic development in the Shannon Region, as part of a wider economic counterpole to the east coast, to realise the potential of the less developed areas of the Shannon Region, to ensure that the more developed areas of the Shannon Region reach their full development potential and to help stimulate market demand for Shannon International Airport.”