It's official- Kilkenny now the poorest county in Ireland

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This is some fall from grace for Kilkenny;
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1784457&issue_id=15309

Drastic measures need to be taken to turn this around. Absolutely shocking in my view, MJ Nolan and John Mcguinness have so much to answer for...

Maharet

Yeah it's unbelievable all right. I was reading more about it in the KK people today, we're the second poorest in the whole country! Donegal being slightly poorer.

I emailed Liam Alyward cause he was the first FFer I thought of supposedly representing us in the current government. I'll email the other two when I get a chance. Serious questions need to be asked when a county only has 84.6% of the national average disposable income and as a region only 91.2%. We really need to get more investment into Kilkenny and the South East and we are going to fall even further behind again if WIT doesn't get university status and give the whole region a fighting chance against the rest of them. 450,000 of us with out a university in our own region!! The government would want to be ashamed of themselves. :mad:

Lump

You're text is really hard to read for people using the Cloud skin.... Navy on black = Crap

Maharet

Lump wrote:

You're text is really hard to read for people using the Cloud skin.... Navy on black = Crap

Oops I didn' know that! Fixed previous post.

Firetrap

There's an election coming up this year I believe The only language that politicians understand is that of losing their seats. If Fianna Fáil thought that they'd lose their politicians in Carlow/Kilkenny, they wouldn't be long about doing something about it. Where I'm originally from, we have a minister. It's definitely made a big big difference.

Maharet

Indeed we should all be asking serious questions of our local candidates. Like what they plan to do to improve our woeful standing in the national income figures. And that of the South East region, I personally think we should all be pressuring for the WIT upgrade, it's essential the South East gets a university if we're to have any chance! Without it, businesses just aren't going to be as interested in investing in our region...

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Maharet wrote:

Yeah it's unbelievable all right. I was reading more about it in the KK people today, we're the second poorest in the whole country! Donegal being slightly poorer.

I emailed Liam Alyward cause he was the first FFer I thought of supposedly representing us in the current government. I'll email the other two when I get a chance. Serious questions need to be asked when a county only has 84.6% of the national average disposable income and as a region only 91.2%. We really need to get more investment into Kilkenny and the South East and we are going to fall even further behind again if WIT doesn't get university status and give the whole region a fighting chance against the rest of them. 450,000 of us with out a university in our own region!! The government would want to be ashamed of themselves. :mad:

I e-mailed that J McGuinness fellow before too about his complete and utter failure to secure funding for Kilkenny's national roads. The 'funding' allocation for two of the worst blackspots (on the N76 Callan road at Tennypark and on the N77 Durrow road) is nothing short of scandolous- 80,000euro for just prelimary design into upgrading of both.

Needless to say he never replied to any of my e-mails. If he tops the poll next election here again well the voters of Kilkenny deserve everything they (ahem) don't/won't get. He is hated by all the Cabinet including the Taoiseach so what chance does KK stand as regarding getting a fair share with someone like that 'representing' us in Govt.

As for Aylward, haven't hearda word from him since he shipped off to Brussels. No great loss really...

JohnMc1

allie_e17 wrote:

There's an election coming up this year I believe The only language that politicians understand is that of losing their seats. If Fianna Fáil thought that they'd lose their politicians in Carlow/Kilkenny, they wouldn't be long about doing something about it. Where I'm originally from, we have a minister. It's definitely made a big big difference.

That's why I am not voting for them. They have been in office too long and have done too little. I hope the people that complain about Fianna Fail in the papers and media actually stick to their guns and not vote for them.

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JohnMc1 wrote:

That's why I am not voting for them. They have been in office too long and have done too little. I hope the people that complain about Fianna Fail in the papers and media actually stick to their guns and not vote for them.

It's certainly true of FF here in Carlow/KK anyway. The funding for infrastructure, educational and health facilities under them has been dismal to say the least.

Just look at the shack that is St. Lukes A+E Dept. or the vacant IDA park in Carlow; Glaring examples of the neglect of this constituency under the present govt.

I know FF are good for areas that have a ministerial rep, but we don't and certainly as long as MJ Nolan and McGuinness are the FF TDs here. Look what Cowen has done wonders for Laois/Offaly.

It's time Carlow/KK got it's rightful share of govt investment and support for the first time in 28 years...

Stephen

I certainly won't be voting for any FF/PD candidates in the election anyway.

MontgomeryClift

I don't see how university status is going to make much difference if the jobs aren't there for graduates.

Not surprising news, anyway, with the closure of industries and nothing to replace them but shops, shops and more shops. A shop-only economy, where people only work in shops and on their lunch breaks go to spend money in other shops and we can exist like this by swapping money. That'll work!

And with the increase in the cost of everything in the last eight years no other industry is viable, apart from construction, where workers are paid off the books for less than the minimum wage for construction.

JohnMc1

mfitzy wrote:

It's certainly true of FF here in Carlow/KK anyway. The funding for infrastructure, educational and health facilities under them has been dismal to say the least.

Just look at the shack that is St. Lukes A+E Dept. or the vacant IDA park in Carlow; Glaring examples of the neglect of this constituency under the present govt.

I know FF are good for areas that have a ministerial rep, but we don't and certainly as long as MJ Nolan and McGuinness are the FF TDs here. Look what Cowen has done wonders for Laois/Offaly.

It's time Carlow/KK got it's rightful share of govt investment and support for the first time in 28 years...

I fully agree with you about St. Luke's . The A+E dept is indeed horrible. They need to modernize the hospital so people from Carlow/KK don't have to keep running out to Waterford Regional for the least little thing.

MontgomeryClift wrote:

I don't see how university status is going to make much difference if the jobs aren't there for graduates.

Not surprising news, anyway, with the closure of industries and nothing to replace them but shops, shops and more shops. A shop-only economy, where people only work in shops and on their lunch breaks go to spend money in other shops and we can exist like this by swapping money. That'll work!

And with the increase in the cost of everything in the last eight years no other industry is viable, apart from construction, where workers are paid off the books for less than the minimum wage for construction.

Agreed. Education without the jobs available will only lead to educated welfare recipients. The Mom & Pop store maybe good for local economy but they will not help the federal economy. With three big companies announcing to close their factories here in Ireland within the time frame does not look good for the overall employment and economy situation.

Whoever is in charge of the government after May will really have to work hard to make the sure the country can keep up with the changes.

Bards

MontgomeryClift wrote:

I don't see how university status is going to make much difference if the jobs aren't there for graduates.
.

If the S.E gets a University then it will attrract knowledge based industry to the region just as has happened in other regions woith Universities, without it we are doomed to the also ran 2nd tier lifestyle with no future.

Within the next 3.5 years the S.E will have a Motorway to Dublin, Will have an airport capable of landing jets (Including coporate ones) and have an educated workforce with a population of circa 500,000. We have the 3rd Largest container port in Ireland, and one of the biggest ro-ro (Rosslare) Ports in the Country.

A University will make this region very attractive indeed. Why do you think Cork airport are bitching about Waterford.. they are running scared in case we take business away from them as the S.E will be the closest airport to Europe.. for carriers that means less fuel and less costs.. also the S.E has a greater population catchement area than Cork

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A university in WIT would make a huge difference to the whole s east region as it would raise the bar in terms of graduate qualifications and make the place more attractive to employers. KK is now a hub of Wateford and as such will benefit directly from a uni just 30 miles away, on a dual carriageway come 2010..

It is no coincidence the wealtheir counties all have direct access to university. The poorest region is the s east as a whole which surprise surprise has none and coincidently the worst road infrastructure at present..

As for Cork Airport, they make me laugh down there deluding themselves into thinking they are the centre of Ireland; all you need do is take out a map and see Cork is one of the more peripheral locations in Ireland. No wonder they fell under threat from the possibility of a decent Univerity and airport in this region:D ..

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Link to KK People article on this topic;
http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2594&ArticleID=2085169

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Just read quite a good letter from Phil Hogan on his website re Neglect of KK and the South East region. Very true about the joke that is losing our Objective 1 status, whereas as so-called 'poor' Western counties manitan theirs whilst having higher incomes than us;
http://www.philhogan.ie/news/?c=24

P.S. I'm not a Phil Hogan head or anything, just I think what he is saying is very true.:D

Bards

And the same TD who came out against the Motorway to Waterford becuase it didn't go near enough to Kilkenny City (Even though it serves vaste swathes of Kilkenny County) and implied that it was a waste of money thus backing up Senator Dardis.

Enda has gone on record as saying that he has no interest in developmening a University in the S.E

Phil Hogan in my opinion is only interested in Kilkenny City and not the big picture of the S.E region and will therefore only look after 20,000 out of the 460,000 constituents of this region.

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Bards wrote:

And the same TD who came out against the Motorway to Waterford becuase it didn't go near enough to Kilkenny City (Even though it serves vaste swathes of Kilkenny County) and implied that it was a waste of money thus backing up Senator Dardis.

Enda has gone on record as saying that he has no interest in developmening a University in the S.E

Phil Hogan in my opinion is only interested in Kilkenny City and not the big picture of the S.E region and will therefore only look after 20,000 out of the 460,000 constituents of this region.

As regards the motorway, I read on his manifesto (in this weeks KK Advertser) he wants to speed up the process of building it!
I heard on the grapevine, he diddn't want some of his loyal supporters land being affected in Bennetsbridge, so thats why he opposed the route.

Where/when did Kenny annouce this re university??

I take you won't be changing your address to vote for Phil Hogan then !

Firetrap

And yet, despite all the doom and gloom, house prices here keep rising

KK People

DéiseGirl

allie_e17 wrote:

And yet, despite all the doom and gloom, house prices here keep rising

KK People

Well ye are a handy commuting distance from Dublin

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D&#233 wrote: »

Well ye are a handy commuting distance from Dublin

Depends on what you mean by 'handy'! KK is a long way to commute every day to Dublin, especially on a crap enough road..I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Firetrap

Not helped either by (these lovely people highlighted by the Advertiser)
Wealthy landowners stunt development in Kilkenny
Kilkenny Sports Complex jeopardised by 'steal grip' of wealthy fewBy Naoise O' Donovan Coogan

A small group of wealthy landowners are preventing the future development of zoned land in Kilkenny by seeking astronomical prices for zoned sites.

It was revealed recently that in Kilkenny city the zoning of land from agriculture to housing can change the value of land from €8,000 an acre to €250,000 plus per acre. Zoning of large parcels of land was passed by councillors and TDs when they voted on the 2002 County Development Plan, however, the decisions taken then, now appear to be backfiring on the people of Kilkenny

etc etc

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allie_e17 wrote:

Not helped either by (these lovely people highlighted by the Advertiser)
Wealthy landowners stunt development in Kilkenny
Kilkenny Sports Complex jeopardised by 'steal grip' of wealthy fewBy Naoise O' Donovan Coogan

A small group of wealthy landowners are preventing the future development of zoned land in Kilkenny by seeking astronomical prices for zoned sites.

It was revealed recently that in Kilkenny city the zoning of land from agriculture to housing can change the value of land from €8,000 an acre to €250,000 plus per acre. Zoning of large parcels of land was passed by councillors and TDs when they voted on the 2002 County Development Plan, however, the decisions taken then, now appear to be backfiring on the people of Kilkenny

etc etc

I was about to post the same atricle, you bet me to it allie;) !
Ridiculous to think these landowners are holding devlopment in KK to ransom:mad: . Pure greed.

Bards

mfitzy wrote:

I was about to post the same atricle, you bet me to it allie;) !
Ridiculous to think these landowners are holding devlopment in KK to ransom:mad: . Pure greed.

Could be worse.. You could be subjected to Brendan McCann.. Officially the most prolific personal objector in the State

DéiseGirl

mfitzy wrote:

Depends on what you mean by 'handy'! KK is a long way to commute every day to Dublin, especially on a crap enough road..I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Well I added the smiley at the end to show what I thought of the commute. Then again, there are a good few people commutiing by train from KK these days from what I hear. Only a couple of weeks ago a woman from Kilkenny started in our office and she gets the train everyday. She's in at 9 every morning and usually in the office after 5 so it's a long enough day. We do have flexi time but even then you can only build up a day and a half off every month...that's a lot of days to be travelling.

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Bards wrote:

Could be worse.. You could be subjected to Brendan McCann.. Officially the most prolific personal objector in the State

That's true alright..Even though we have a Green councillor he's not particularly 'anti-everything' like this McCann guy.

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D&#233 wrote: »

Well I added the smiley at the end to show what I thought of the commute. Then again, there are a good few people commutiing by train from KK these days from what I hear. Only a couple of weeks ago a woman from Kilkenny started in our office and she gets the train everyday. She's in at 9 every morning and usually in the office after 5 so it's a long enough day. We do have flexi time but even then you can only build up a day and a half off every month...that's a lot of days to be travelling.

I guess if you were single, young and few ties it would work. Still though I wouldn't swap with her for the world!

Firetrap

There's only so long anyone can do that commute. It's also a disgrace that people are forced to live so far from their workplace but that's a different argument altogether.

I do believe that Kilkenny's progress is being held back by a combination of poor infrastructure and the dreaded vested interests who won't allow anything to be built anywhere and greedy land owners who will only sell for exhorbitant prices. I'm sure there are people sitting on vast landbanks around town who won't release them.