Cllr. Charlie O’Connor has said it’s time to get on top of attracting important jobs to Tallaght; otherwise there is a risk of hampering the future socio-economic development of the area. O’Connor, was commenting following a recent Council meeting of the Tallaght Area Committee where he raised the matter with the County’s Chief Executive. He said, “Tallaght is a major urban centre with a growing young population. We must be making proactive plans to ensure that there are jobs to keep these young people in our area. “This is a matter of huge importance to the local community. Residents are concerned that Tallaght risks losing its edge over other parts of the Capital when it comes to attracting important jobs. “Week in week out we hear announcements of jobs in other parts of the country. Tallaght and the entire South-West Dublin region should receive just as much focus and priority for job opportunities as the rest of the country. “I appreciate that the Chief Executive has assured me that the South Dublin Local Economic and Community Plan 2016 – 2021 includes a series of economic objectives in this regard but we should be seeing better outcomes.
“There may well be an economic recovery nationally but many towns and localities are still dealing with deep rooted issues including social deprivation – Tallaght is no different. Parts of our community are even further setback by a lack of jobs and therefore, limited opportunities. “There are vacancies in our local industrial estates that could prove attractive to foreign investment or international companies wishing to relocate to Ireland’s capital post-Brexit. I will be following up with South Dublin County Council to establish what level of active engagement has taken place with businesses potentially interested. “As far as I’m concerned, the Industrial Area Improvements Schemes provided for under the 2018 Local Authority Budget should be better increasing the occupancy rates in our industrial estates. “The people of Tallaght and South West Dublin need to be made feel more assured that efforts are being made to attract any potential jobs to the area,” he concluded.
