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A socio-economic analysis has beenwritten as part of the evidence basedresearch required as a formativeelement of the development of theKerry Local Economic and CommunityPlan. This socio economic analysistogether with stakeholderconsultation has informed thedevelopment of three interrelatedhigher level goals which underpin thedevelopment of the Local Economicand Community Plan.

Introduction

EconomicDevelopmentand JobCreation

Qualityof life

Communityand socialinclusion

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KEY FINDINGS

Demographic The population of Kerry has been increasing steadilysince 1979, before then Kerry suffered populationdecreases, rendering the current recorded populationof 145,502 (census 2011) the highest on record since1926. A growth of 4.1% was experienced in the period2006-2011. This growth was uneven, with high growthrates in some towns and town environs while a numberof areas mainly in the south of the county experienceddecline. Kerry’s demographic characteristics such aslow birth rates, high death rates, high ageddependency and emigration have contributed to Kerry having the lowest population growth in the State.Despite this, Kerry is, the 8th most populated countynationally.

over 35% of Kerry residents live in large urban towns.The remaining 65% of residents live in areas with apopulation of 1,500 or less. Consequently Kerry isconsidered predominately rural.

The demographic of the county diverges from thenational trends in two ways. Firstly the county has alower percentage of the 0-9 and 20-39 age groupsindicating low birth rates and a move from the countyafter school/college. Secondly Kerry has a greaterpercentage of people over the age of 49, pointing to anolder age profile. These trends suggest that many ofthose who leave the county eventually return to thecounty to establish long term residence.

Labour Market Looking at the labour market in the period 2006-2011there were positives and negatives to report. The 2011census revealed Kerry’s labour market three years afterthe 2008 economic crises. The numbers unemployedgrew by a staggering 7,756 or 160%. There were 16,400on the live register. Construction and Manufacturinglost 60% and 20% of jobs respectively. However thecensus also highlighted areas that grew in the period2006-2011 such as Education, Public sectorAdministration and Agriculture.

Kerry’s economy, a fifth of the size of the South West isheavily dependent on Wholesale and retail, Tourismand Agriculture. There is no substantial differencebetween the economies for the State, the South Westand Kerry at first glance. The Wholesale and retailsector dominates in terms of employment. This isfollowed by Health and the collective Public Sector(Health, Education and Public administration) whichemploys over a quarter of the workforce in both theSouth West and Kerry. over 90% of the activeenterprises in the South West and Kerry employ lessthan 10 people.

Although there are high levels of similarities betweenthe economies of the State, the South West and Kerrythere are also some notable differences. Kerry’s strongtradition in the Tourism and Agriculture sectors isreflected in the relatively larger proportion of the workforce employed in these sectors in Kerry compared tothe South West and the State. The opposite applies inthe context of Manufacturing.

Socio - Economic Analysis

The report first presents Demographics relevant to Kerry, both urban and rural. it specifically focuses on Hub Towns, regional Towns and District towns based on theirgeographic location and function. This allows a comparison across the settlements,County, South West and State in terms of population change, distribution and structure.The subsequent sections consisting of Labour Market, Education, Health Status,Deprivation, Housing and infrastructure, follow a similar structure.

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Education The educational standard of Kerry residents hasimproved significantly over the 15 years between1995-2011. Early school leaving has fallen and third levelattainment has increased. The gap between Kerry andthe State decreased in relation to no formal/ primaryeducation category in this period. Althoughprogression to third level in Kerry is high the gapbetween the county and the state has widened. Thisindicates that people are leaving the county aftercollege and not returning until later in life.

Social Science, Business and Law disciplines are themost popular among Kerry students. The majority ofKerry students tend to study in Tralee institute ofTechnology, university College Cork, university ofLimerick, and Cork institute of Technology.

Health Status nearly 90% of people in Kerry perceive themselves tobe in very good or good health. There are, however, twotrends which are likely to emerge as key health issues inthe coming years. nationally the age profile is gettingolder and it is estimated that the number of peopleover 60 will almost double by 2030. There will be aproportional increase in the 85+ age group. The level ofage related illness will increase dramatically. Publicpolicy in the areas of health, housing and communitysupports will need to adapt to the needs of an

increasingly older population. Secondly, while lifeexpectancy has increased, life style factors such assmoking, drinking and obesity continue to underminethe health of the population. This is particularly true inthe case of lower socio-economic groups.

13.17% (19,168 people) of the county’s total populationare registered as having a disability. There are over12,000 carers providing personal help to those with adisability, many of whom are elderly. Slightly over 6,000carers are unpaid. A significant proportion of full-timeunpaid carers are women. Carers provide a hugelyvaluable service in aiding those with a disability toremain in there own homes.

Nationality and Ethnicityireland is becoming a more ethnically diverse societypartly due to free movement of people within the Eu,and partly to an influx of asylum seekers. in 2011,11.37% of Kerry’s population were non-irish nationals.This is slightly lower than the national average of 11.9%.3.69% of Kerry’s population is from the united Kingdomand 2.88% from Poland. Many other nationalities areresident in Kerry but in much smaller numbers. inJanuary 2015, there were 485 asylum seekers residentin Kerry. in 2011 Kerry was also home to 860 membersof the travelling community.

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Gaeltacht and the Irish Languagein Kerry, the Gaeltacht area embraces a large part of the Corca Dhuibhne and Úibh ráthaigh peninsulas. The population of the Kerry Gaeltachtaí is 8,729 whichrepresent c. 8.7% of the national Gaeltacht population.Gaeltacht Communities have shown great resilience inface of the economic downturn. However additionalmeasures are needed to improve and grow theeconomy of these areas if their contribution to theCounty’s linguistic, social, and cultural tradition is to be maintained.

DeprivationKerry has been severely affected by the recenteconomic downturn and there has been a substantialincrease in deprivation. nevertheless, in the period2006 to 2011, the relative position of Kerry hassignificantly improved from the 21st to the 16th most affluent local authority area in ireland.

Data relating to deprivation is taken from The Pobal HP Deprivation index. This index measures the relativeaffluence or disadvantage of a particular geographicalarea using indicators such as unemployment andeducation. The largest concentrations of areas whichare marginally above average are, in general, located in the environs of Tralee, Killarney, Castleisland, Dingleand Kenmare. Smaller concentrations are located in theenvirons of Listowel Ardfert, Cahersiveen, Waterville,Sneem, Killorglin Milltown and rathmore. outside these

areas the majority of the county is classified as beingmarginally below average. Significantly, this includes alarge proportion of rural areas.

over 10% of the county is classified as disadvantaged.The majority of disadvantaged areas are located innorth Kerry and the iveragh Peninsula. The mostaffluent parts of the county are situated primarily in theenvirons of Killarney, and to a smaller extent aroundDingle Town and Tralee, yet excluding Tralee town.There are 8 areas in the county classified as verydisadvantaged. Five such areas in are located in Tralee,two in Listowel and one in Castleisland.

Housing The majority of dwellings (73.1%) are owner occupiedand 44.46% of these are owned outright with nomortgage attached. This is higher than the State and the South West. The highest concentrations ofproperties owned without a mortgage tend to beconcentrated in more rural areas.

nearly 27% of dwellings were vacant on census night.This vacancy rate is significantly higher than the Statevacancy rate of 14.5%. The number of holiday homes(8,202) is partly responsible for high vacancy rates. High levels of vacancy in existing private housing unitsundermine the viability of services and communitiesand measures must be taken to address this issue.

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The Local Authority provides for those who cannotafford housing accommodation in the private housingmarket. There are 3,862 Local Authority housing units in the county. There is significant demand for localauthority housing with 4,925 households qualifying for Local Authority Housing. it is anticipated that thegovernments recently published six- year HousingStrategy will provide Local Authorities with theresources necessary to address the need for socialhousing.

Infrastructureone of the major factors which will shape the economicand social development of the county is the quality ofits infrastructure. Kerry, as a county in the South West of ireland, is peripheral to national, European andinternational markets. Connectivity to these marketsthrough integrated transport infrastructure is necessaryfor economic growth and the creation andmaintenance of jobs.

Kerry has good air connectivity to other countries andmajor urban centres through Cork, Shannon and Kerryairports. This access must be maintained and improved.in the last two decades Kerry’s access to the country’smajor motorways has also improved and travel timesreduced. However improved access is needed to Corkand Limerick.

Ports provide an alternative to road transportation forthe efficient movement of large goods. Maintaining and improving ports will be important in the economicdevelopment of the county. The Shannon Estuaryprovides a huge opportunity to develop marine-relatedindustry and for the development of marine relatedtourism.

Through major improvements to the grid infrastructureand the development of renewable energy Kerry canprovide a safe and secure energy source for existingand new economic enterprises. However, there must be grid improvement in South Kerry to ensure it canaccommodate high energy users and capitalise on itscapacity to produce renewable energy.

There is a deficit of high quality telecommunication and broadband infrastructure and this is one of themost pressing infrastructural issues facing the county.The quality of broadband in many rural areas is poor.There is an opportunity now through the nationalBroadband Plan to provide quality and reliable highspeed broadband to rural areas.

WHAT ARE THE STATISTICS SAYING The statistical analysis presented here provides animportant insight into the economic and social issueswhich must be addressed to promote economic growthand to improve the quality of life for all members of our community. Since 2007 the economy has been inrecession and consequently unemployment has riseninexorably and with it social deprivation. Economicgrowth and the jobs it provides will do much to reducesocial deprivation but specific measures are required to tackle long term deprivation. Deprivation is moreprevalent in some areas of the county than others, and measures must be targeted not only at deprivedgroups but also at deprived areas.

recent economic indicators suggest the country’seconomy is beginning to grow and jobs are beingcreated. The challenge now is to ensure that Kerry iswell placed to benefit from economic growth and hasthe means to reduce levels of deprivation and create a more inclusive society.

The globalisation of the world’s economy and thechanging needs of new technology have presentedopportunities for new investment and employmentgrowth. However to be part of this economy theinfrastructural deficit in telecommunications includingbroadband must be addressed. While many of Kerry’syoung people are educated to at least third level, it isimportant that students are directed towards obtainingskills required by emerging economic sectors.

it is also important to strive to build on what are alreadysuccessful economic sectors such as agriculture andtourism. new and traditional industries require goodconnectivity to national and international markets. it’svital therefore that Kerry maintains and improves accessto ireland’s motorways, ports and railways and airportsin order to increase the efficiency and cost effectivenessof the carriage of goods and people.

Kerry has over 6,000 existing enterprises (excluding the public sector and agriculture). The success of theseenterprises demonstrates that businesses here canflourish. The quality of life is a major attraction forbusiness and people. Therefore the environment mustbe protected for its economic as well as its social andenvironmental value. The quality of life offering in Kerryis one of its key strengths and can be used as a catalystto attract inward investment and the employeesneeded. A ‘why live and work in Kerry’ type campaignshould be further developed as a means of attractinginward migration of those of working age.

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As part of the Stakeholder engagement and inpreparation for the formation of the higher level goals,various interest groups were consulted under theumbrella of the Local Community DevelopmentCommittee (LCDC). Plus a detailed collaborativeconsultative process with the industrial DevelopmentAuthority (iDA-ireland) and Enterprise ireland wasentered into, to develop the South West regionalAction Plan for Jobs 2015-2017.

over 130 actions relate to economic development inKerry with over one-third of these having a regionalfocus.

in addition to providing actions which will feed into the Kerry Local Economic and Community Plan thisstakeholder engagement process plus the socio-economic research helped to inform the AdvisorySteering Group in developing draft Socio-EconomicStatement and Higher Level Goals.

Approved by the Economic Development andEnterprise Strategic Policy Committee and the LocalCommunity Development Committee, the publicconsultation commenced.

Following an extensive consultative process,amendments were made. The following Socio-EconomicStatement and Higher Level Goals were adopted bythe Economic Development and Enterprise StrategicPolicy Committee and the Local CommunityDevelopment Committee.

Developing the Socio-Economic Statement and Higher Level Goals The first phase of the Kerry Local Economic and Community Plan, the preparation of thesocio-economic profile, has been developed through an in-house research team led byDr. noreen o’Mahony and Ms. Marguerite Enright. Additional research was undertakenjointly by Dr. Brendan o’Keeffe, university of Limerick and Dr. David Meredith of Teagascin relation to ‘understanding Change in County Kerry, 1991-2011’ - Profile of LabourForce, industry and Education, and the links between deprivation and loss of services.

The public consultation utilised a number of different approaches, including:

- Public Meetings in each Municipal District;

- online consultation;

- Stakeholder consultation workshops and focused group meetings.

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Economic Development and Job Creation

Quality of Life

Community and Social Inclusion

To promote a robust and diverse economy, supported by a well-developed education and training model, enabling a sustainablepopulation and vibrant communities throughout the county.

To promote a high quality of life, based around a clean natural environment, good quality local services, a strong sense of place and culture and meaningful participation in decision making.

To promote social and economic inclusion and reduction of socialinequalities, particularly targeting areas and communities in Kerryexperiencing social disadvantage, marginalised groups or those at risk of exclusion.

This Socio-Economic Statement is supported by the High Level Goals

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1.1 Supporting Existing Business in Kerry

1.2 Attracting Investment to Kerry

1.3 Sustainably Maximise Growth Opportunities for Kerry

1.4 Diversifying the Kerry Economy

1.5 Marketing

1.6 Skills Development

1.7 Smart Technology

1.8 Networking / Collaboration

1.9 Natural Resources

1.10 Energy

1.11 Connectivity

1.12 Social Enterprise

Strengthen existing base - supporting a strong business environment forlocal business services /Homeworking/Micro enterprise and SMEs.

Support and Sustainably Develop Workspace Centres for significant FDi andindigenous investment (Tralee/Killarney hub).

identify areas of growth - Tourism, Food, Engineering manufacturing,renewable energy, iCT, Services and retail, Creative Sector, Arts, Sports andCultural Activities.

Maximise diversity in economic activity / seasonality / eco-tourism / health /language / arts / sports / cultural tourism.

Market Brand Kerry / promotion as a location to invest.

Target Skills deficit / Matching skills base to economic opportunities.

Sustainably develop iCT infrastructure / smart town network.

Promote networking and collaborative practices between public sector andbusiness, business and education to maximise economic activity.

Maximise the economic potential and development of natural resources in asustainable manner while ensuring no significant adverse effect on theenvironment. (Forestry and renewables / Fisheries and Aquaculture /Agriculture / Env and Tourism).

increase competitiveness of doing business in Kerry by developing initiativesto access low cost energy.

Maximise connectivity of the county through investing in sustainablecommunication and transport infrastructure in appropriate locations.

Develop social enterprise to strengthen the fabric of rural communities.

Each higher level is to support specific goals under each area which are set out as follows:

1. Economic Development and Job Creation

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2.1 Natural Environment

2.2 Communities of Place

2.3 Accessibility to Services

2.4 Engagement and Participation

2.5 Health and Well-Being

2.6 Culture and Heritage

To work with stakeholders in order to protect the landscape and naturalenvironment of the County as a major economic asset and an invaluableamenity which contributes to the quality of people’s lives.

To strengthen and support communities to enable all residents to act on thedevelopment of social, cultural, economic and environmental actions to build a sense of identity, belonging and pride.

To devise practical locally appropriate responses to address difficulties inaccessing services in consultation with stakeholders.

To ensure that inclusive citizen engagement is promoted and supported at alllevels so that people and communities affected by a decision or a policy arepart of the decision making process.

Promote population health and well being both mental and physical and draw on the social determinants of health (covering social aspects includingeducation, environment, sport and physical activity, housing, economic status).

To enhance access to and to recognise the social and economic role of the arts,and culture in Kerry by promoting and encouraging artistic expression, culturalawareness and participation.

2. Quality of Life

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3.1 Social Deprivation

3.2 Education

3.3 Unemployment

3.4 Children and Young People

3.5 Older People

3.6 Marginalised Communities

3.7 People with Disabilities

3.8 Social and Community Infrastructure

3.9 Regeneration

To raise awareness of social deprivation issues in Co. Kerry and develop an activemulti faceted and multi policy response working with individuals, communitiesand agencies.

To provide education opportunities, through the concept of life long learning, byimproving access, supporting retention and developing relevant training/skillsfor current and future job opportunities.

To promote access to quality employment for job-seekers, economically inactiveand under-employed people.

To secure improved outcomes for children and young people including moreeffective service delivery and better opportunities, by working with them and the appropriate agencies.

To promote Kerry as an age-friendly county and strengthen collaborationbetween statutory agencies and voluntary and community organisations toimprove the health, wellbeing, safety and participation of older people.

To create change through developing participative processes and structureswhich include and empower marginalised and excluded groups in Co Kerry.

To create an environment where people with intellectual and physical disabilitiescan participate in communities with equal rights to live life to their full potential.

To ensure that appropriate needs based social and community infrastructure isprioritised in creating sustainable communities and a sense of belonging forboth new and more established areas throughout the county.

Support the sustainable regeneration of urban and rural areas, through the development of integrated plans, community capacity building andtargeting investment to develop vibrant sustainable communities.

3. Social Inclusion

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Strengths

S W

Weaknessess

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITES and THREATS (SWOT) ANALYSIS

Economic 1. Strong entrepreneurial spirit and impressive indigenous track record (e.g. Fexco/Kerry Group/Dairymaster) resulting in strong ambassadors for the county.2. Strong internationally recognisable Kerry brand, i.e. Kerry, Killarney, ring of Kerry, Dingle, rose of Tralee, Listowel Writers Week.3. Strong presence of global companies and longevity of FDi companies.4. Strong tradition of educational attainment. 5. reintroduction of regional Aid.6. Strong tourism and arts sector. 7. The Wild Atlantic Way in Kerry a 450km scenic coastal drive. 8. Lucrative dairying farming systems to be found in the north and east of the county.

Infrastructure 9. Kerry Technology Park, a world class business environment of seamless integration of education and enterprise. 10. Kerry is home to the institute of Technology Tralee and within 100kms of four other higher level institutes, university of Limerick, Limerick institute of Technology, university College Cork and Cork institute of Technology. All having an impressive international reputation.11. Kerry international Airport allows business executives and tourists to travel to Dublin, England and other European destinations.12. Key strategic development sites.13. Fenit, a deep water port is an important commercial asset providing a strategic transport link for the import and export of goods.

Quality of Life 14. Strong quality of life offering in Kerry, giving the county a strong appeal in terms of attracting people to live and work in the county.15. Presence of strong interagency and community led work practices.16. Strong community based organisations working to improve quality of life in the county; i.e. Tidy Towns, Development and sporting organisations.17. Abundance of natural assets and a rich, clean, green environment.

Economic 1. imbalanced growth within the County.2. Limited track record in emerging sectors (iT and high tech industries).3. Skills availability to support business needs (iCT skills, etc.) 4. Gap between the County and the State in terms of third level attainment.5. High level of job losses in the inter-censal period 2006-2011 6. High dependency on traditional sectors such as wholesale, retail, tourism and agriculture. 7. Predominance of low input/low output farming with two-thirds of farms in Kerry being dry stock beef or sheep farming.

Infrastructure 8. Limited clean property solutions to support new manufacturing projects.9. Connectivity to main urban locations and main international airports still needs additional strengthening (n21 and n22) - Adare and Macroom/Ballyvourney.10. need to strengthen mobile and broadband connectivity in the county.11. Lack of integrated transport network. 12. need for more affordable houses in suitable locations.

Quality of Life 13. High aged dependency and economic dependency compared to the State and the South-West.14. The vacancy rate in Kerry is significantly higher than the State vacancy rate; such high vacancy rates hinder community viability.15. Societal changes have led to social isolation particularly in rural areas.

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o t

Opportunities threatsEconomic 1. Promotion of the clean and ‘green’ image associated with the County along with the development of a ‘Brand Kerry’ to promote the message that Kerry is a place to work, invest, live and visit.2. opportunity to build on and join up traditional sectors and add value, i.e. local food economy, dairying and tourism.3. Diversification and further development of tourism, for example exploring options such as eco-tourism, adventure tourism & activities, and experiential tourism; including arts & culture tourism.4. Kerry’s natural resources which foster increased employment and enterprise opportunities in the area of: marine, energy, fishing, forestry, food and outdoor, leisure related activities etc.5. High levels of progression to third level among Kerry students 6. identification and matching of skills to current and future labour market needs. 7. Fostering links through networking with diaspora in an effort to entice people to relocate to Kerry. (Promoting the quality of life offering in Kerry).8. Promote the supportive business environment in the County and existing Micro, SME and FDi businesses.9. reinstatement of regional Aid for County Kerry.

Infrastructure 10. Potential of university Status third level institute in the County Kerry Technology Park. 11. Provision of property solutions (manufacturing/services) to support FDi opportunities - advanced technology building. 12. Development of key strategic sites in the count.y

Quality of Life 13. The development of support service enterprises for identified groups, e.g. older people.14. improved retention rates of Leaving Certificate with almost 1,800 students in the County sitting the Leaving Certificate each year.15. Promoting the Gaeltacht region on a global scale as an attractive area for linguistic scholars.16. Promotion of Kerry’s rich qualify of life. 18. To engage with the community on local developments, leading to ownership, enhanced civic pride; a key factor in good ‘placemaking’.19. To support the role of community based organisations in the county that already contribute to social and economic development including the strong community infrastructure.

Economic 1. The lowest population growth in the Country compounded by trends of suburbanisation and expanding commuter zones and on-going rural decline.2. Economic pull factors of areas outside the county - leads to high out-migration and resulting in the lowering of the availability of certain skills in the employment market.3. Lack of scalability of certain sectors, e.g. iCT.4. Changing nature of FDi - shift to services activities/urban centres.5. The dairy industry is susceptible to global trends; volatile pricing in the dairy industry can lead to major losses.

Infrastructure 6. Lack of suitable manufacturing properties.7. High levels of commercial and retail vacancies in the County.8. Lack of clarity on the future of the potential LnG project.9. Challenging broadband and mobile connectivity especially outside urban areas.

Quality of Life 10. High aged dependency has social and economic implications11. The number of essential services supporting vulnerable groups are delivered through voluntary effort. (Services for older people, vulnerable young people, etc.) 12. Decline in language and tradition in Gaeltacht regions and throughout the county. 13. Lack of integration of migrant and new communities due to language and culture barriers. 14. Pressures to have adequate types of housing to support the aging economy-needs for adaptation of housing to suit requirements.

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• Primary Income Plays a Major Role

• More people employed and the higher the wage the higher the primary incme of the county

More jobs/quality jobshelp grow and sustainresilient communities

Build on assets and innovate

More People

• Increase retention/attract nester population

• Maintain and create jobs

• Aged population - implications and opportunities

• Strong tourism and agriculture, retail need to create added value

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Primary income plays a major role in the size andvitality of an economy. The more people that have jobs and the higher the wages, the higher a county’sdisposable income. Excluding farming enterprises, and the public sector, Kerry has almost 6,000 activeenterprises which need to be supported to reach fullpotential as these are the reference sellers, to attractboth domestic and overseas investors, entrepreneursand visitors. Kerry has very strong tourism, retail andagriculture sectors. There is an opportunity to build onthese sectors to create added value. For a strong andresilient economy, there is a need to build on Kerry’sstrengths, value proposition and opportunities forgrowth. infrastructure, including air, road, rail, ports,high speed broadband, energy, property solutions, and educational facilities are essential growth enablers.Kerry has made significant progress, however to grow,Kerry needs; motor way connectivity, continuousdevelopments in renewable energy, targeteddevelopments in broadband, improved mobilecommunication, development of strategic sites andmeasures taken to allow the airport to continue todevelop.

When compared to the state Kerry experiences a dropin population in the 20-44 age cohort. People leavingthe county for study and work is a contributory factor.The quality of life offering in Kerry needs to bepromoted as a key factor in a “why Kerry” typecampaign to attract inward migration of those ofworking age population particularly the nester agegroup, i.e. people with young families.

Kerry has an ageing population, with high rates of ageddependency, attracting in growth leaders, meaning theworking age group would help to support the over 65cohort and vibrant communities.

While the Strengths and opportunities may seemfocused in the economic and infrastructure fields,balanced growth and investment, and the promotionand protection of Kerry’s quality of life is essential insupporting a “whole of county” development andgrowth approach.

SWOT ASSESSMENT

The previous section outlines a snap shot of Kerry’s key Strengths, Weaknesses,opportunities and Threats in the context of three inter-dependent themes; Economic, infrastructure and Quality of Life.

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