Louth County Development Plan 2021–2027

1. Page 161

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   Chapter 5 Economy and Employment “To strengthen the employment base and economic profile of Louth that builds on the designation of Drogheda and Dundalk as Regional Growth Centres and maximises the strategic location of the County along the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor. The prioritisation of Drogheda and Dundalk for economic investment with the complementary supporting economic role of the smaller towns and villages will ensure the Job:Workforce ratio continues to improve thus creating more balanced and sustainable communities.”

2. Page 162

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3. Page 163

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   Chapter 5 – Economy and Employment Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 5-1 5 ECONOMY AND EMPLOYMENT 5.1 INTRODUCTION This Plan seeks to support and facilitate viable economic development and job creation, across a range of sectors, in accordance with the principles of proper planning and sustainable development. As the population of Louth continues to grow, it is essential that the County continues to be well positioned to facilitate further economic investment and respond to any economic uncertainties. This chapter will set out the vision and strategy for economic development in the County during the life of the Plan. It will identify the opportunities for Louth to strengthen its economic base and continue to attract investment and support job creation for both indigenous and international businesses. The spatial framework for enterprise and employment development is consistent with and aligned to national, regional and local level economic development policies. 5.2 ECONOMIC PROFILE OF LOUTH The locational advantage of Louth along the Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor with excellent access to Dublin and Belfast City Centre, Airport, Port, and surrounding Key Towns in the Region means the County is well positioned to attract economic investment. The identification of Drogheda and Dundalk as Regional Growth Centres (RGCs) in the National Planning Framework (NPF) and Regional Strategic Economic Strategy (RSES) is recognition of the importance of these settlements at both a regional and national level in facilitating future population and economic growth. Economic development and employment in the County is concentrated in business parks, industrial estates, and town centres in Drogheda, Dundalk, Ardee, and Dunleer. Outside of these settlements there are smaller scale enterprises in the small towns, villages, and open countryside. With over 35,000 jobs in the County and a Jobs:Workforce ratio of 0.71 recorded in Census 2016, the economic benefits associated with the strategic location of the County, and in particular the strength of the employment base, are apparent. With a net outward migration rate of almost 30% of resident workers travelling outside the County, the majority of whom work in Dublin, the interdependency between Louth and Dublin is also evident. At a settlement level, Dundalk is the primary centre of employment in the County, with almost 14,200 jobs in 2016. This equates to 40% of the total jobs in the County and is an indication of the strength of this Regional Growth Centre as a location for employment. The Job:Workforce ratio in the town was 0.99 in 2016, highlighting the close alignment between population and employment growth in the town and the sustainable platform on which the town is developing. Drogheda is also an important centre of employment with over 12,300 jobs in the town in 20161. The lower Job:Workforce ratio is an indication of the interdependency of the town with Dublin, due to the higher volume of outbound commuting for employment. 1 This includes the Southern Environs of the town which had 1,216 jobs and 3,700 resident workers in 2016.

4. Page 164

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   Chapter 5 – Economy and Employment Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 5-2 Ardee and Dunleer have a solid employment base, with both towns experiencing a sustainable balance of population and employment growth. When compared to settlements of similar sizes, it is apparent that both towns outperform many other towns in the Region and across the country with regard to total jobs. This is an indication of the importance of the towns in employment and service provision in their surrounding hinterland. Dunleer is the only town in the County with a net in-flow of workers in that there are more jobs in the town than resident workers, resulting in the town having a Job:Workforce ratio of 1:10. The smaller settlements in the County have a more limited employment base resulting in fewer jobs. Carlingford and Castlebellingham/Kilsaran are the exceptions with these towns having a Job:Workforce ratio of 0.8 (370 jobs in the town) and 0.65 (295 jobs in the town) respectively. The remaining smaller settlements are dependent on outbound commuting and have a Job:Workforce ratio ranging between 0.17 (Clogherhead) and 0.32 (Termonfeckin). This is an indication of a weak employment base. Full details of the breakdown of resident workers, total jobs and jobs ratio in each settlement in Louth are set out in Figure 5.1. Figure 5.2 provides a breakdown of the occupational groups in the County in 2011 and 2016. It is a useful indication of the broad range of employment in the County, in addition to highlighting the skill sets of the workforce. These include business and administrative roles, corporate management, research and engineering, and skilled trades. There was a modest increase in most occupational groups between 2011-2016, with professional and service occupations recording the highest increase. Skilled construction trades recorded the largest decrease during this period.

5. Page 165

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   Chapter 5 – Economy and Employment Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 5-3 Fig 5.1: Resident workers, jobs, and jobs ratio in Louth by settlement in 2016 675 629 275 206 281 296 506 336 860 451 459 751 1,819 16,108 14,178 49,712 138 71 20.5 78 60 78 121 104 150 295 370 822 1,706 12,361 14,163 35,451 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Tullyallen Termonfeckin Tallanstown Omeath Louth Village Knockbridge Dromiskin Collon Clogherhead Castlebellingham/ Kilsaran Carlingford Dunleer Ardee Drogheda Dundalk Louth Resident Workers, Jobs, and Jobs Ratio, 2016 Resident workers Jobs 0.71 0.99 0.76 0.93 1.10 0.81 0.65 0.17 0.31 0.24 0.26 0.21 0.38 0.26 0.32 0.20

6. Page 166

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   Chapter 5 – Economy and Employment Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 5-4 Figure 5.2: Breakdown of the labour force in Louth in 2011 and 2016 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 Unemployed - looking for first regular job Transport and mobile machine drivers and operatives Textiles, printing and other skilled trades Teaching and educational professionals Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades Skilled construction and building trades Skilled agricultural and related trades Secretarial and related occupations Science, research, engineering and technology professionals Science, engineering and technology associate professionals Sales occupations Protective service occupations Process, plant and machine operatives Other/not stated Other managers and proprietors Leisure, travel and related personal service occupations Health professionals Health and social care associate professionals Elementary trades and related occupations Elementary administration and service occupations Customer service occupations Culture, media and sports occupations Corporate managers and directors Caring personal service occupations Business, media and public service professionals Business and public service associate professionals Administrative occupations Labour Force Breakdown 2011 & 2016 2011 2016

7. Page 167

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   Chapter 5 – Economy and Employment Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 5-5 5.3 EMPLOYER PROFILE There are a broad range of employers from various industrial sectors based in Louth. The most prominent sectors include bio-pharma, food and beverage production, manufacturing, financial services and ICT. In addition to providing direct employment, the large businesses and employers in the County create higher productivity in the wider economy as they provide indirect employment in areas such as service provision, maintenance and logistics. Health and education are also prominent employment sectors, with two hospitals (Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda and Louth County Hospital in Dundalk) and a third level education facility (Dundalk Institute of Technology, (DkIT) and Drogheda Institute of Further Education, (DIFE)) located in the County. Within the various employment sectors in the County there are opportunities for continued growth and expansion. 5.4 ECONOMIC STRATEGY The Plan provides a framework for economic growth and investment at a County level. This framework is closely aligned with national and regional policy and has taken account of recent government publications relating to economic development, including the Action Plan for Jobs and Enterprise 2025. The economic strategy for the County is based on a vision of developing a strong economic base supported by enterprise, innovation and skills. This Plan seeks to reinforce this vision by aligning with the key economic principles set out in the RSES. Whilst a Development Plan cannot create employment, it has a critical role to play in facilitating development and supporting economic growth. If a Plan is to support economic growth, it needs to ensure that there are sufficient lands available for investment and that these lands can be serviced by the required roads, water services, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure. Any deficits in infrastructure can result in inefficiencies, loss of output, and higher costs for businesses which ultimately impacts on economic competitiveness. Regular engagement and collaboration with infrastructure agencies and providers in identifying and progressing projects that will facilitate economic growth is required to ensure there is a coherent and holistic approach to development. Furthermore, creating the right environment for enterprise and employment to thrive can deliver high-quality places as they become attractive locations to work, live, invest, study and visit. The primary location for employment related development during this Plan will be in the Regional Growth Centres of Drogheda and Dundalk. These settlements have a strong employment base, a wide range of services, and a large market and catchment, with capacity to accommodate further investment in centrally located areas where there are opportunities to cluster with existing enterprises. By concentrating growth in these settlements there is an opportunity to create a critical mass of population that will support infrastructure investment and consolidate development in these large urban areas.

8. Page 168

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   Chapter 5 – Economy and Employment Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 5-6 5.5 POLICY CONTEXT In response to the high levels of unemployment experienced across the country during the recession, the Government published a number of policy initiatives aimed to support economic growth and job creation. The key publications are as follows: 5.5.1 Action Plan for Jobs This is an annual publication by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment that outlines the Government’s approach to maximising job creation across the country. It has been ongoing since 2012, with each Action Plan including specific targets relating to employment growth. Regional Enterprise Plans have also been prepared, with Louth located within the North East/North West Region. This Enterprise Plan recognises that this region has a diverse enterprise base and a flourishing Small and Medium sized Enterprise (SME) sector with capacity for expansion. The talent base and location of Institutes of Technology in the Region are recognised as being important in providing an educated workforce. The North – East Regional Enterprise Plan aims to build on the strengths of the Region, support continued collaboration between businesses, stakeholders and public agencies, and increase employment. Figure 5.3

9. Page 169

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   Chapter 5 – Economy and Employment Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 5-7 5.5.2 Realising our Rural Potential Action Plan for Rural Development In recognition of the challenges facing rural areas, an Action Plan for Rural Development was published in 2017. This Action Plan ‘Realising Our Rural Potential’ aims to boost economic development in rural areas by improving infrastructure, rejuvenating towns and villages, addressing social exclusion and supporting job creation. 5.5.3 Strategic Policy The NPF and RSES set out the planning policy approach for economic development at a national and regional level. There is an emphasis on taking a plan led approach to economic development that focuses on building resilience in the economy, promoting collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship, enhancing connectivity and accessibility and aligning infrastructure investment with settlements designated for growth. The RSES seeks to support economic growth and job creation in the Region through the concept of smart specialisation. This is a European Strategy that seeks to boost economic growth by enabling Regions to identify and develop competitive advantages. It is a partnership approach that brings together local authorities, universities, business groups and organisations, and the general public. The RSES has identified Drogheda and Dundalk as Regional Growth Centres and recognises the significant potential of these settlements to function as drivers for economic development in the Region. 5.5.4 Local Economic and Community Plan As part of the restructuring of local government through the implementation of ‘Putting People First’ and the Local Government Reform Act 2014, local authorities were given a greater role in economic development. This included the creation of a Local Enterprise Office in each local authority, which replaced County Enterprise Boards, and the requirement for each local authority to prepare a ‘Local Economic and Community Plan 2016-2022 (LECP)’2. The Louth LECP was adopted in March 2016. The economic goals of the LECP are closely linked to the 10 point plans prepared by Louth Economic Forum. The primary objective of the LECP is to create a thriving economy and community where both indigenous and international businesses can prosper. The LECP is required to be consistent with the County Development Plan and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy, meaning it is closely aligned with planning policy at a local, national, and regional level. 2 Section 44 of the Local Government and Reform Act 2014 sets out the requirements to prepare for each local authority to prepare a Local Economic and Community Plan.

10. Page 170

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    Chapter 5 – Economy and Employment Louth County Development Plan 2021-2027 5-8 Figure 5.4: Louth LECP Economic Goals

Source Louth County Council: Louth County Development Plan 2021–2027 (2021–2027) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.