DES GRIFFIN,
Sir, - The analysis by Garret FitzGerald of the preliminary results of the 2002 census and his comments on the need for a proper spatial strategy (August 17th) make interesting reading.
The continuing growth in the hinterland of Dublin and the resultant urban sprawl across much of Leinster dramatically underlines the need for such a strategy. The final paragraphs of Dr FitzGerald's article: "the (spatial strategy) team will have to select several growth centres from among the less dynamic towns of the rest of the country. Limerick and the notably undynamic city of Waterford more or less nominate themselves" demands some clarification.
Incomplete academic analysis from afar, as typified in this case by Dr FitzGerald's off-the-cuff and unnecessary comments about Waterford, is fraught with danger. He appears to know nothing of east county Waterford.
Had he cared to examine the preliminary census report for County Waterford in slightly more detail, he would have established that Tramore, a town almost entirely dependent on Waterford for employment and described locally as "a dormitory suburb of Waterford", had a 25.4 per cent growth in the inter-censal period and is now larger than Dungarvan. This makes a clear nonsense of his contention that "there has been rapid population growth in some towns in the west and north west - but not interestingly in the south."
Dr FitzGerald's reputation as the doyen of Irish politico/economic commentators does demand that he be precise in his pronouncements.
He should let his data speak for itself rather than prefacing it with remarks that are unhelpful to this city and give grounds for allegations of personal bias.
I would have expected him, of all people, to understand the huge influence that the level of State involvement and the pre-existence of a university have had on the successful growth of Galway over the past half century vis a vis comparable development in Waterford and elsewhere. The recent independently published Strategy Waterford document is informative in this regard.
There has been a renaissance in Waterford city over the past 15 years. It is ironic that while Dr FitzGerald seems to be blissfully unaware of it, that two policy decisions taken by his 1982/87 coalition, namely the development of Waterford Regional Hospital and the inclusion of Waterford city centre in the first phase of the 1986 urban renewal legislation, have to a large extent, driven that process. - Yours, etc.,
DES GRIFFIN, Lower Newtown, Waterford.