Time to harness opportunities for Cork – Buttimer
Fine Gael Cork South Central Senator, Jerry Buttimer, will tonight (Thursday) tell a Fine Gael meeting that the county has become the forgotten region of Ireland and is in danger of becoming an economic black spot unless investment in the region is made a priority.
“There are now more than 43,000 people in Cork on the Live Register. They are desperate to get back to work and waiting to harness any opportunity presented to them during these difficult times.
“Cork must be put at the heart of investment in the southern region. The county has enormous potential that is waiting to be unleashed – a fact that was recently acknowledged by the Lonely Planet Travel Guide which ranked it as one of the top ten travel destinations in the world this year. This international endorsement of Cork and its people clearly recognises Cork’s great potential as an investment location with some of the brightest and most talented people in the country who are continually working to better themselves.
“Businesses want to invest where it is affordable and where there is a large pool of talent to choose from. They want to invest in a place that is vibrant and has a future supply of young people. Cork offers all of these things with its colleges and hospitals and its highly educated workforce.
“Without adequate investment in Cork, we may end up with a generation of young people forced to emigrate in search of opportunity. We must ensure that the 43,000 people on the Live Register in Cork are given some modicum of hope for the future.
“Ireland is no longer one of the most expensive destinations in Europe. We are, however, still one of the most sought after destinations in the world. We must work to our strengths to help build solid foundations for an economic recovery so that we get our people off the dole queues and back.
“It is within Cork’s reach to become the leading light in Ireland’s economic recovery, through tourism, innovation, research and community spirit. We have all the basic ingredients in abundance. By attracting adequate investment into the region we can ensure that Cork remains firmly on the map and our people get back to work to work as quickly as possible.”