Midwest region must 'move on', says Ó Cuív

Minister for Community, Gaeltacht and Rural Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív yesterday told a midwest audience that "it is hard to expect people to invest money in a region that is seen by its own citizens as a loser".

Against the background of warnings of job losses and lost investment arising from the Aer Lingus decision to end its Shannon-Heathrow service, Mr Ó Cuív said: "Aer Lingus have made their decision and we have to move on."

In his speech at a Clare Community Forum regional development seminar at Bunratty, Mr Ó Cuív said it was unproductive to waste time on what might have been had decisions been taken differently. "While you must recognise the challenges and deficiencies in your region, never sell your region short. By always highlighting the difficulties and never the advantages, a great disservice is done to a region."

He said he was disappointed at the unilateral decision by Aer Lingus to move the London-Heathrow slots from Shannon to Belfast.

"I understand your frustration on this issue. I too am frustrated, but the Government does not have the legal power to intervene in this decision in the ways that so many people have suggested.

"We can no longer rely on either restrictive practices or protectionism to protect our future. The day of, for example, the equivalent of the Shannon stopover or any other such approach to problem-solving is gone. Instead of dwelling on what we cannot do, we have to focus on what is possible; we need to keep looking at other ways for this region to move forward and ensure connectivity."

He added: "I have a firm belief that when a problem arises, the reality is that the only way of resolving problems is to look at the actual facts of the present situation and based on that, to plan for the future.

He urged his audience to "believe in the future of your region, rooted in the sure knowledge that what ultimately determines the future is the spirit of the people and their determination and long-term Government planning, not the geographic location or population.

"In my experience, in the Joyce Country where I live, the vital turning point came when the people's attitude towards their area changed from one of despair and negativity to one of positive thinking and pride. The Western Development Commission's 'Look West' campaign is further evidence of the power of positive persuasion.

He said that trying to change the world and make it perfect before dealing with the day-to-day problems was a futile exercise. "We live in an imperfect world and therefore, in solving problems, we have to accept the world as it is at any given time."

He added that it was a major challenge to realise that the future depended on competing successfully in the open market. "However, my experience is that once people realise and accept this reality, they then find that it is within them to compete with and often outperform bigger areas by good planning, creative thinking and commitment."