Fergus McAllister launched his election bid for Westport Town Council with a radical campaign to make Westport a digital and greentech hub which could generate hundreds of new jobs and help secure employment in existing service businesses. His campaign and manifesto were launched by Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan, who is a strong advocator of the Smart Economy as Ireland’s surest way out of recession.
“Westport Town must take advantage of its strong digital infrastructure coupled with its enviable quality of life to promote itself as a hub for digital and greentech businesses and innovators who were reliant on technology but not location,” said McAllister. “In the current climate there was no point in waiting for traditional infrastructural selling points like road or rail or just vaguely talking about job creation.”
He pointed to Hibernian College as an example of the type of technology based SME that could be attracted to Westport. The successful on-line third level institution has already located its technology rump in the town employing 20 people. Ten Hibernian colleges, he pointed out, could mean over 200 new high end jobs.
