OECD calls for greater regional investment
economy
New policies need to be introduced to ensure economic growth in Ireland is unlocked across all its regions, senior officials from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will argue in Maynooth today.
Members of the global think-tank that represents the world's richest nations will insist at a conference in the town's university that the Government's 'smart-economy' drive must deliver development opportunities to regions across Ireland.
The OECD's head of regional development, Joaquim Oliveira Martins, will claim that such a strategy will be vital if a major shift in the focus for the country's economic fabric is to be successful.
"Rural areas are experiencing a decline in traditional manufacturing employment while the smart economy, or knowledge-based jobs, are becoming increasingly concentrated in a select number of urban centres," warned Chris Van Egeraat, of the Irish branch of the OECD's regional studies association.
- John Mulligan
Irish Independent
