Time to act on Midlands jobs crisis

The revelation that the Midlands has the highest unemployment rate in the country should concentrate minds on the growing jobs crisis in the region. That one in five adults are now out of work in the counties of Westmeath, Offaly, Longford and Laois is an indictment of the failure of successive Governments to tackle the jobs issue. There now needs to be a coherent strategy to encourage job creation in the midlands. Although the region has its fair share of foreign direct investment, particularly in Athlone, Government pressure has to be applied to ensure the IDA's track record continues here and improves in other midlands locations, notably Mullingar and Portlaoise. But, more importantly, the Government has to begin to act as facilitators to private enterprise. Local business people, both small and large scale, hold the key to creating jobs. Throughout recent history it has been proactive midlands business people who have driven forward the economy of this region. Towns such as Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar are fortunate to have such forward thinking business people in their ranks. The Government needs to allow these entrepreneurs to create jobs. This means ensuring that the banks loosen the purse strings and provide credit for viable projects, that red tape and bureaucracy is stripped away and that pro-enterprise policies are enacted. It means reversing its decision not to reform upward-only rent reviews, a decision which will cost thousands of retail jobs The explicit commitment to reform upward only rents was in both Government parties' election manifestos and in the current Programme for Government and was abandoned in last week's budget. And there's even an argument for scrapping the Job Bridge programme, which, in many cases has simply acted as a block to jobseekers who find work placement employees filling vacancies. There is a greater perceptual issue at play in the jobs crisis in the midlands too. The Midlands, for too long, has been left behind as region. Many other regions in Ireland have stronger identities and thus greater lobbying powers. To many in seats of decision making, the midlands is what's left behind after the other regions are identified. If the West or the North West topped the jobless tables, it would make national news, through the work of agencies such as the Western Development Commission. In contrast, we in the midlands are often voiceless on the national stage. Recently, in the wake of a succession of high-profile job losses in the South East, a special taskforce was established which recommended a series of initiatives to help encourage job growth. The report was prepared by Forfás at the request of the Minister for Enterprise and Employment and incorporates inputs from all the enterprise agencies, other relevant state agencies, local authorities, CEBs and educational institutions from the region. It's time for something similar in the midlands. However, any such taskforce must recommend tangible action points which can improve the situation. There's no appetite for a talking shop or a report that gathers dust on shelves. It's now time for action before the crisis spirals out of control.