Economic Development Monitoring Committee

Key Tasks

• Pursue quantitative and qualitative development on the following fronts;

• Developing the labour market;

• Attract/Grow dynamic economic activities;

• Strengthen the indigenous sector;

• Plan the transition away from contracting economic activities;

• Intervene in key economic sectors;

• Exploit spatial advantages (e.g. the Dublin-Belfast corridor).
  

Benefits

• Maintain competitiveness;

• Secure existing jobs;

• Provide better choice, diversity and quality in local marketplace;

• Create less dependency on the rest of the region;

• Improve the rates base;
  Better local economy could be a key to sustainability.

Sub Issues

• Address the rigid interpretation of the NSS and effects on Foreign Direct Investment.

• Tackle the ‘national only’ and 'regional only' view of key agencies like IDA/EI/FAS.

• Examine perceived Economic Deficiencies of the County.

• Maintain strategic focus and resist the temptation of short-term gains.

• Stabilise the Fingal Business Forum and its capacity to implement.

Methodology

Continue to oversee remaining elements of the existing plan to ensure implementation.This will involve a core of the Stakeholders remaining in place as a Monitoring Committee.

Consult directly with the customers of all our existing initiatives to ensure that their insights are included. Three mechanisms already exist that do this: Fingal Business Forum, Fingal Skills Observatory and Fingal Enterprise Alliance

Main Stakeholders

FCC, FÁS, IDA, EI, FCEB, FBF, Teagasc, LEADER, LES, NorDubCo. This might imply that Co. Dublin VEC, Fingal Tourism, Aer Rianta and DCU discontinue membership of the Committee.

Work Programme for 2004

• Continue to monitor the implementation of key actions in the Strategy;

• FDB consult the relevant public /customers;

• Group should position itself to write an action plan for 2005 on the following sectors:Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals,
  Agriculture & Horticulture and
  Local Service Industry;

• High Potential Start Ups;

• Foreign Direct Investment.
  

Resource Implications

The FDB should resource the 1st and 2nd elements of the above work programme and options could be considered for specific stakeholders to write the action plans for the remaining elements of the work programme.

Link to original Strategy

See list of actions below. Although some actions have been superseded by the current climate the long-term actions outstanding must still be implemented in the short-term.

Risks

• Loss of FDB (and FDB type initiatives) credibility at what appears to be a sidelining of the existing agreed Strategy;

• Some agencies will always refuse to change their geographic focus;

• Some of the proposals have potential to challenge the core activities of agencies like FCEB and IDA and might be contentious.
  

Economic Development Monitoring Committee Actions