With a projected government budget surplus of €10 billion this year and €16.2 billion next year, Drogheda City Status Group (DCSG) is calling on individuals, business groups and local public representatives to press hard to ensure that this exceptional opportunity to address the neglect that Drogheda, South Louth and East Meath have experienced from successive governments is not missed.
“The Greater Drogheda Region has been neglected for decades” said DCSG Chairperson Anna McKenna. “The results can been seen, for example, in the thousands of our talented people who have to make long, daily commutes to work or study, resulting in a high social, economic and environmental cost for their families and communities.”
Ms McKenna said that it is clear that IDA have failed the people of the Greater Drogheda Region. “The Donore Road Business Park, commissioned decades ago should have had thousands of jobs in dozens of businesses there. Instead, today it houses a data centre which will employ mere dozens” she said.
“Despite Drogheda finally being designated a Regional Growth Centre, it can still be described as an ‘IDA jobs blackspot. It is disgraceful that Drogheda – Ireland’s next city – does not have one single State employee based here representing the key job creation agencies – IDA, Enterprise Ireland, LEO and Failte Ireland” she said.
Anna acknowledged the interest Minister Simon Harris along with LMETB CEO Martin O’Brien has taken in expanding local training and further education facilities, saying:
“We are seeing the new electrical apprenticeship centre taking shape and further investment is being made at Drogheda Institute of Further Education where Davy McDonnell and his team have developed one of Ireland’s most respected colleges of its type. Now we need to add to that by establishing a University Campus to serve North Leinster.”
Drogheda City Status Group is also concerned to ensure that the great work of the Drogheda Implementation Board (DIB) which emerged from Vivien Geiran’s report commissioned by Minister Helen McEntee does not cease at the end of this year as scheduled.
“This initiative has brought State agencies and community and local business representatives together under the excellent chairmanship of Michael Keogh and Implementation Manager Grainne Berrills” she said.
“Their great work needs a multi-annual commitment and resourcing to ensure their many initiatives bear fruit, especially for those less fortunate in our communities to improve their quality of life.”
DCSG believes there are initiatives such as DIB which warrant a commitment to multi-annual funding, saying that relative to the enormous scale of the budget surplus, such community investment is modest and life enhancing.
DCSG has developed a list of projects for consideration including:
- Completion of Port Access Northern Cross Route (PANCR) to enhance the attractiveness of Drogheda Port, facilitate further local housing and employment opportunities, and alleviate the dangers and noise associated with high volumes of heavy goods vehicles forced to drive to/from the port via the centre of Drogheda.
- Development of Drogheda North Railway Station adjacent to the planned 7,000 homes being built on the PANCR. The provision of a local University Campus given the population of the wider catchment area (there are 750,000 people living within 30 minutes’ drive).
- Secure the land and buildings at Dowth formerly used by Devenish Nutrition as an internationally recognised research farm which also includes some of the neolithic monuments of the Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Securing UNESCO World Heritage Status for the High Crosses and monastic complex at Monasterboice (in conjunction with Louth Co. Council).
- The provision of an “Eastlink” bridge to facilitate traffic to/from East Meath travel to/from South Louth rather than causing congestion in central Drogheda.
- The removal of the toll on the M1 motorway at Donore Road, to alleviate serious traffic congestion in the centre of Drogheda and the approaches to the city, for example Julianstown.
- The establishment of a National Museum of Ireland – Military History at Oldbridge, site of the largest land battle in Ireland where the State owns over 500 acres, to complement the Irish Military War Museum in Collon and Millmount Museum in Drogheda.
DCSG has again called on Government to undertake a full review of the 2018 National Planning Framework and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy – which acknowledge Drogheda’s importance from a development and economic point of view.
“Despite this, Drogheda has little to show for in the intervening five years, and going further back, the 2017 Boundary Report is lying on a shelf somewhere in Government offices” Anna said.
“Our new Mayor Eileen Tully and councillors, along with local TDs and Senators need to be focused on fighting the cause of Drogheda,” added Anna, who has confirmed a programme to meet with local TDs Ged Nash, Imelda Munster and Fergus O’Dowd has commenced.
Anna concluded by calling for people to get involved in Drogheda’s campaign for city status by following them on social media and emailing droghedacitynow@gmail.com for full details.
