The results of the latest Regional Quality of Life in Ireland report underlines the failure of the spatial strategy policies of successive governments with Mayo’s disposable income per person at €17,818, well behind the Dublin figure of €21,575.
This was the analysis of Independent MEP Marian Harkin when she described the CSO income and vacant housing statistics as particularly indicative of the failure to close the economic and social gap between regions.
She said: “The BMW region as a whole has continued to lag behind other regions in relation to disposable income per head which sees the Dublin figure at €21,575, the Border at €17,374, Midlands €17,133, and West at €18,495.
“An indication of the continued economic gap between regions is also a reflected in the vacant houses index. This shows the BMW region at 21 per cent, the Midlands at 14 per cent, and the West at 20 per cent. The figure for Mayo at 24.7 per cent and the BMW region at 18.7 per cent compares with Dublin at 8.3 per cent.
The MEP concluded: “In many comparisons there is evidence that current government policies are not closing the economic gap between regions and, despite current national economic problems, the Government has a duty to significantly reduce the current disparity which discriminates substantially between the different parts of our country.”
