IDA must invest in Mullingar and the Midlands

Labour TD for Longford Westmeath, Willie Penrose has called on the IDA to ensure it invests in the Midlands as he joined a protest outside their Headquarters at Wilton Place today.

Deputy Penrose said:
“For too long Mullingar and the Midlands have been ignored, and have not secured the strategic state investment that the town needs, and is ready to support. It’s a sad day when we have to resort to protesting outside the IDA headquarters in Dublin to draw attention to where Mullingar is located. I want to thank Jack Kiernan for taking this stance, and I am 100% in support of him.

“The current IDA strategy is meant to be focused on the development of Regional Enterprise Strategies, to produce action-oriented plans to support enterprise growth and jobs in the Midland and South East region but we haven’t seen any success from it yet.

“There is a great opportunity for the IDA to ensure the Business Park in Mullingar is prioritised and promoted for inward investment.

“From this perspective, the need to ensure dispersal of industry to the regions which have not been favored to date by entrepreneurs and investors has to be the central focus of any new development strategy. The IDA must recognise the challenge for us here in Mullingar in attracting foreign direct investment. There is life in the country outside of the major cities and the Pale.

“I have raised this issue in the Dail with the Minister directly. I am out here today supporting local Westmeath man Jack Kiernan because I support his call on the IDA to take the Midlands seriously when it is planning for the year ahead. We have hard-working people, great road networks, and land that is ready and in need of development. The IDA couldn’t find a better place to invest in then Westmeath and Longford.”

ENDS