The Western Development Commission document outlines their initiatives and aims to promote economic and social development in the Western Region of Ireland. It discusses how the WDC has invested over €13 million in regional enterprise and employment, directly supporting over 2,700 jobs and 5,000 jobs total. It also details their work in areas like renewable energy, tourism, broadband access, and establishing funds to provide financing for small businesses in the region. The document argues that while progress has been made, continued focus is still needed due to factors like lower GDP and higher unemployment in the Western Region compared to the rest of Ireland.

1. Access to Finance
Solving the issue of access to growth capital
●● Western Investment Fund (WIF)
●● Creative industries micro loan
fund
●● Evergreen Venture capital fund
helping scores of western firms
develop and grow. €1.5 M
disbursed in 2015
●● Targeted microloan programme to
kick start western creative firms.
Total €1 M earmarked
CurrentInitiatives
Aims/Outcomes
Regional Analysis and Policy
Identifying regional issues leading to designed solutions
●● Broadband (BB)
●● Transport infrastructure
●● Ongoing regional analysis
insight papers and blogs
●● Rail freight analysis for region
●● Next Gen BB development
●● Travel to work and Strategic
policy influencing
●● See www.wdc.ie
●● Delivered on regional rail freight
report in Dec. 2015
CurrentInitiatives
Aims/Outcomes
Renewable Energy
Developing the largest regional opportunityfor growth
●● ROKWood
●● BioPAD
●● Strategic Biomass District
Heating (DH) scheme
●● GREBE €1.8 M total EU project
to support bio energy sector
●● FREED €1.9 M total EU initiative
to identify and fund renewable
energy innovation in region
●● FP7 initiative to develop short
rotation crop sector
●● €700 K EU Initiative to develop
local biomass supply chains in
sector
●● Secured loan finance from EU
(€5 M) to develop PPP model with
municipality to deliver renewable
DH scheme to western towns
CurrentInitiatives
Aims/Outcomes
CEDRA
Commission for economic development of rural areas
●● Developing the initiatives
to deliver on CEDRA
recommendations
●● Step change in the value and
diversity of Ireland’s rural
economy
CurrentInitiatives
Aims/Outcomes
SRDO
Strategic Regional Development Office
●● €1 M p.a. Funding in the capital
plan to pilot a suitable model for
national place based economic
development
●● Proposal to the State for
a practical pilot model for
accelerated rural/regional growth
based on near to market, place
based implementation
CurrentInitiatives
Aims/Outcomes
Creative Economy
Diversifying the regional economyto help its
sustainability – supporting micro business
●● www.MyCreativeEdge.eu
●● Creative Edge
●● MOU with Craft Council
of Ireland
●● Scriptwriting excellence
programme
●● CREATIVE MOMENTUM €1.9 M
total EU initiative supporting
creative sector
●● Shop window for hundreds of
rural creative businesses (300
Western businesses engaged)
●● (€700k EU initiative) With NUIG
developing stimulus for whole
creative sector
●● MOU for crafts – driving growth
through trade fair funds and
export drive
●● Growing commission capture
(TV & Film) in the region
CurrentInitiatives
Aims/Outcomes
Regional Promotion
Supporting niche tourism and the regional and national brand
●● www.LookWest.ie ●● The online guide to living, working and business
in the West of Ireland. A unique regional portal
promoting niche activities and opportunities
to explore and attract people to invest and
visit the West. Reaching a local, national and
international audience and engaging with
diaspora from all over the world
CurrentInitiatives
Aims/Outcomes
Further information:
Tel: 094 98 61441
Email: info@wdc.ie
Website: www.wdc.ie
Western Development Commission
Dillon House, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon
Western Development Commission
July 2016
Key growth areas and priorities Key growth areas and priorities
OVERVIEW
Regional Tourism
Initiating and developing flagship tourism projects
in the Western Region
●● Strategic development of
tourism projects through
collaboration and partnership
●● To develop the cultural tourism
sector in the Western Region
on projects focused on
sustainability and encouraging
increased tourism
CurrentInitiatives
Aims/Outcomes

2. History and purpose of the WDC The Impact of the WDC to date Building a Future for the Region
The WDC was set up in 1998 in the Western counties (Donegal,
Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway and Clare). The
recognition that political will and focused attention would increase
national economic growth to the benefit of all our citizens.
The general functions of the WDC are set out in the Western
Development Commission Act 1998 as being:
The WDC – a capabilityfor the region
The WDC has developed a way of working that delivers a unique
and effective response to the development challenges of a
predominantly rural region. The WDC is an efficient agency which
implements economic development and growth in the Western
Region. Furthermore it adds value and regional ‘sensitivity’ to the
work of national and international bodies and actively engages with
regional interests through a combination of:
IMPLEMENTATION
Initiation of regional programmes with relevant stakeholders to
deliver sustainable development in a largely rural region.
INSIGHT
Development of a robust information base on regional issues which
provides an acknowledged valuable input to national policy-making
in areas such as energy infrastructure and broadband.
IDENTITY
Promote and build a globally recognised, regional identity through the
www.LookWest.ie website which has attracted more than one million
visitors, currently engaging more than 17, 000 people through its
social media channels. This platform attracts talent and enterprise to
our communities in the Western Region.
INVESTMENT
Operating the Western Investment Fund (WIF) as a unique source of
risk capital for entrepreneurs in the Western Region.
Investment in regional jobs
Since 2010 the WDC has sourced and directed over €13M in total
funding towards regional enterprise and employment development.
Regional Policy and analysis capability
This regional capacity has led to advances in critical infrastructure such
as broadband roll out, proliferation of the gas network to towns in the
region, showcasing novel growth sectors such as the creative economy
and ensuring the region is at the forefront of growing these areas.
Realisation of regional jobs
In recent years approximately
5000 jobs (2700 direct and 2300
indirect), have been significantly
supported by the WDC in the
region (many through the Western
Investment Fund).
Regional capability to access
EU programming funds
The WDC now has a regional capacity to develop and deliver
significant funding across a range of key growth sectors. The WDC
are currently engaged in EU projects with a total value of €6M.
In addition, local authorities have access to over €5M in low interest
loans. The WDC has developed initiatives in critical regional growth
sectors such as Renewables, Bioenergy, The Creative Economy,
Cultural Tourism and the Business Sector.
Regional “access to finance” capability
The Irish Government established the WIF to be a unique source of
risk funding to businesses and communities in the region. This has
increased the regional access to venture capital (VC) funding from
3% of State average to over 7% in the last 10 years.
However despite the progress made to date,
key indicators highlight the continued and
critical need to focus on the development
and growth of the Western Region to
realise its economic place and
potential:
●● Preliminary statistics for
2014 show that Regional
GDP per person in the
West region was 76% of
that in the State (€28,113
vs. €37, 186), the Border
region a mere 60%.
●● Slower jobs recovery –
growth in employment
in the Western Region
between 2012 and
2015 was just 2.8%,
less than half that in
the rest of the State at 6.3%.
●● Higher youth unemployment – the youth (15-24 yrs)
unemployment rate in the Western Region is 30.8%, substantially
higher than the 20% in the rest of State (Q1 2015).
●● The Border, Midlands and Western Region has a higher consistent
poverty rate (10.8%) compared to 7.0% for the Southern &
Eastern Region (2014)1
.
1 CSO income & Living Conditions, 2015
60%
GDP
BORDER
REGION
76%
GDP
WESTERN
REGION
13MILLION
REGIONAL
ENTERPRISE
EMPLOYMENT
DEVELOPMENT
€
46.6
MILLION
SMEs MICRO COMMUNITY
INVESTED
€
ENTERPRISES SUPPORTED
131
72 16 43
JOBS DIRECTLYSUPPORTED
2.5K+
to promote, foster and encourage
economic and social development
in the Western Region
Summary
The WDC contributes and makes a significant andmeasurable difference to the Western Region.
It has sought to establish a capability for future growthboth for the region and its citizens.
In the process, it has identified and championed newareas of regional strength. It has also sought to delivera capacity for communities to design, fund and deliverlasting programmes of growth for the Western Region.
2700
5KTOTAL
DIRECT JOBS
INDIRECT JOBS
2300