Knock Airport could be at the core of a rural regeneration programme for the Mayo area, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Eamon O Cuiv, has said.
The Minister of State, who is responsible for rural development, told a seminar in Knock yesterday that priority should be given to this area under the National Development Plan to boost population levels. Excluding Galway city, the population of Connacht had declined by 177,000 since 1926, he said.
He was speaking at a seminar hosted by Mr William Thomas, president of the New City for the West Company Ltd, who proposes to develop a new city in the west of Ireland. The Minister of State told The Irish Times the concept of a new city for the west, as proposed by Mr Thomas, was "pie in the sky". However, he said he welcomed the debate which had been started on development of the area.
Provision of basic services and infrastructure in the area could be carried out under the National Plan, and the area would also qualify for designation under the RAPID programme for rural areas (to be known as Clar), Mr O Cuiv said. This could help to reverse alarming declines in areas like Swinford rural district, where the population had fallen by 59 per cent since 1926.
The Tubbercurry rural district, in neighbouring Co Sligo, had decreased by 56 per cent in the 70 years between 1926 and 1996, he added. Glenamaddy and Castlerea population levels had fallen by over 50 per cent during the same period. "What this means is that an area which had 90,000 people in 1926 was reduced to 45,000 by 1996," he said.
Mr O Cuiv said his vision involved rebuilding traditional communities and towns which had "a focus, a loyalty, a heritage and tradition behind them". These towns would be Charlestown, Co Mayo, Tubbercurry, Co Sligo, and Swinford, Ballyhaunis, Knock, Claremorris, Kiltimagh and Castlebar, Co Mayo.
"If the population were to increase in these towns, it would become viable within this area to provide necessary services, such as improved hospitals, third-level education, varied employment," Mr O Cuiv said.
