This article is from page 13 of the 2006-10-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
COMPLETING the N18 GalwayLimerick dual carriageway by 2010, providing a €52 million dedication fund to market the west of Ireland gateway in the US post Open Skies and accelerating RAPID area rejuvenation in rural Clare are just some of the targets set out by the Atlantic Way.
Launched by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Shannon this week the Atlantic Way aims to promote the Galway-Shannon/Limerick corridor so that it is recognised worldwide as a location for superior quality of life, leading opportunities for creative and challenging work, education and flexible business potential.
The people involved are mainly leaders and decision-makers in business, education, community organisations, local government, voluntary services and community development.
They say they want to bring coherence, co-ordination and a sense of urgency to infrastructural development, excellent technological services, quality employment, lifelong education and quality of life to counties on the western seaboard.
By creating “joined up thinking” between the counties around Limerick, Shannon and Galway it is hoped that the Atlantic Way will create a viable counter pole of economic activity to he Greater Dublin region.
In his address the Taoiseach acknowledged that the BMW region is still some way behind the south and east region.
“Rather than argue about this I prefer to focus on the future,” he added.
He told the Shannon audience that the quality of life and standard of living in the west was “better than anywhere else, so you win out anyway”.