Meath is here to help Dublin

 

 Jackie Maguire, Chief Executive, Meath County Council

12^th January 2017

 

Traffic nightmare

As I was driving through Dublin the other day, trying to cross from Clontarf to a meeting near the Dáil, it struck me how horrendous the City’s traffic has become as the ‘Big Dig’ continues on the cross-city Luas line. What should have been a ten minute journey for me took closer to 40 minutes as I was continually thwarted from getting from North to South of the City.

Alien

For someone working and living in Meath I found this alien. There’s no part of Meath that is not easy to access. When you are used to such a convenience you forget how important that is to businesses, easy-access from home to work and from work to meetings means much greater productivity.

 Some harsh realities

Furthermore a research note from Dublin based recruitment consultancy @Abrivia_Recruit highlighted another problem for those who manage to make the commute. These are some of their findings about Dublin;

• 40% of Dublin employers believe that the shortage in rental accommodation is damaging their ability to recruit staff.
• Almost 33% of Dublin employers expect to lose staff this year because of increasing rents.
• 47% of those living outside of Dublin said they would need a salary increase of over 20% to move to Dublin.

Dublin will great one day

Dublin’s problems will be fixed and the connected Luas will be a great addition to the capital’s infrastructure. However, getting traffic flows right in Dublin could take another three years – or longer if the proposed College Green pedestrianisation goes ahead. During that time businesses based in Dublin will find it hard to find suitable accommodation and qualified staff. There is an immediate alternative. Everything a business needs is already available in Meath, including easy access to the M50 ring road that can bring you from North to South of Dublin quicker than you’ll ever do so by trying to drive through it.

But Meath is ready now

We understand that Dublin is the easy default for businesses. It’s a recognised brand and when reporting back to the board saying they’re basing themselves in Dublin sounds sensible. But what the board ought to be told is the Meath is the country’s most business-friendly region, that we have the space, the people and the accommodation ready for those who need a quick solution. We’re also closer to Dublin International Airport than many parts of Dublin. Frankly Meath makes sense. Interested? Contact the Meath County Council Economic Development Team now. They’re there to #MakeItMeath as your location decision simple.