Midlands Gateway

The strategy is designed to create an integrated linked Gateway comprising Athlone,[http://www.athlonechamber.ie Welcome to Athlone Chamber of Commerce] Tullamore{{Cite web |url=http://www.tullamorechamber.com/ |title=Tullamore Chamber of Commerce tullamore Offaly Ireland tullamore chamber online offaly birr edenderry ferbane daingean offaly tullamore |access-date=22 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329230847/https://www.tullamorechamber.com/ |archive-date=29 March 2017 |url-status=dead }}{{failed verification|date=March 2022}} and Mullingar[http://www.mullingarchamber.ie/ Home]{{failed verification|date=March 2022}} together with the other surrounding towns in the region with the objective of developing an "internationally competitive Gateway".{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

The Irish government[http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=4586&CatID=54&StartDate=1+January+2007&m=p Speech by Mr. Brian Cowen TD, Minister for Finance at launch of Capital Securities Midlands Gateway Economic Index,2 March 2007 – Department of Finance – Government of Ireland] strategy, combined with the associated councils has been formulated with the intention of ensuring the availability of choice in residential, retail, leisure and tourist facilities based on the principles of quality of life and environmental enhancement.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

The background to the Midlands Gateway project is the Irish government's National Spatial Strategy, which was launched in 2002 with the objective of engendering a "more balanced approach to regional development across the State".{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

The purpose of this strategic framework is to focus more directly on the role of the Midlands Gateway within this strategy in acting as the economic driving force for the development of the Midlands region.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

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In order to ensure that the vision for the Midlands Gateway is achieved, a number of partners were identified as of importance to the Midlands gateway's success. These included a number of Government departments, the Industrial Development Authority (Ireland), National Roads Authority NRA, Higher Education Authority (HEA), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and local agencies.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

Currently,{{when|date=March 2022}} the Gateway does not have direct access to complete Inter-Urban Motorways/Dual-Carriageways, both internally and externally. The Gateway, and in particular the three principal Gateway towns of Athlone, Tullamore and Mullingar, is served by main line inter-urban rail and bus networks, with direct access to urban centres of Dublin, Galway and Sligo, and limited local bus services. However, there is poor rail connection within the gateway.{{Cite web|url=http://www.metroeireann.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1453&Itemid=42|title=Metro Eireann}}{{failed verification|date=March 2022}}

In addition, the Gateway is not directly served by an inland port and, of critical importance, is not currently within one hour drive time of an international airport. There is poor road linkage between the Gateways towns, with limited rail and bus service links. If developed as proposed, the road development proposals announced in the Transport 21 Government Proposal (November 2005) would mean that the Midlands Gateway would attain improved access to Galway, Dublin and Sligo, and therefore also to ports and airports.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} The plan also identified a need to "considerably improve the road infrastructure within and adjacent to the Gateway", as the "existing status is significantly insufficient".{{original research inline|date=March 2022}}

A report by Indecon concluded that the "scale of the economic challenges facing the Midlands Gateway is very large". The analysis in the Strategic development Framework for the Midlands Gateway reportStrategic development Framework for the Midlands Gateway report highlighted the following challenges:

• The absence of a critical mass of population, employment, and infrastructure in the Gateway;
• The extremely low levels of value-added services and productivity in the existing manufacturing base in the region, which leaves the Gateway vulnerable to significant further job losses;
• The persistence of socio-economic barriers, including noticeably higher unemployment, lower educational attainment, and social deprivation/exclusion in certain areas in the Midlands counties;
• The failure of the region to capture a higher share of tourism activity and to develop higher value tourism product areas; and
• The absence of a strong, identifiable 'brand' for the Midlands Gateway, which gives the Gateway and surrounding region strong visibility as an attractive location for live and work.
• The reporters Simpson and Associates, strongly believe that unless the strategies recommended in this report are implemented, the potential for the area to develop as a significant Gateway is limited and this, like all the other elements of the (original National Spatial Strategy), now called the National Development Plan,Irish National Development Plan would remain aspirational.
• If, however, the recommendations in this report are implemented, we{{who|date=March 2022}} believe there is a real opportunity for significant progress to be made.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

• Irish National Development Plan
• Platform 11
• Transport 21

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080724110603/http://www.midlandgateway.com/ Midlands Gateway] (archived 2008)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721124603/http://www.finance.gov.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=4586&CatID=54&StartDate=1+January+2007&m=p Finance Ministers Mr. Brian Cowen's Speech 2 March 2007] (archived 2011)
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927081833/http://www.westmeathcoco.ie/docs/notices/0bce2d17-8a4a-4ae2-8533-d9108d9bf36d.pdF Strategic Development Framework For The MIDLANDS GATEWAY] (archived 2007)

Category:Economy of the Republic of Ireland

Category:Geography of Athlone

Category:Mullingar

Category:Rail transport in Ireland

Category:Transport in County Offaly

Category:Transport in County Westmeath