Greater Dublin Area (GDA) – Alternative to South and East?

Greater Dublin Area – An Example of A Core Economic

Region

Dublin's Docklands Redevelopment

Why GDA is a core economic region• Route focus / nodal point for Ireland’s road, rail, air

and river transport networks.• Dublin city – finincial and administrative capital.

Major service centre providing natioanl, governmental, health and educational services.

• The country’s biggest tourist destination (Dublin).• Natural resources – fertile brown earth soil, well

drained lowlands. Sheltered harbours for fishing and tourism industry.

• High population density – area of in-migration.• Wealthy, educated population attracts industry.

(Dublin – software)• One of the fastest growing regions in Europe.

Reasons for GDA dominance

• 80% of state sponsored bodies located here.

• 70% of major public and private companies are located within GDA.

• All finincial institutions have their headquarters here.

• Dublin is the capital.

Physical Characteristics of GDA• Climate

– Drier than BMW due to rain shadow effect.

– 750mm average (1000mm less than west)

– Wicklow Mountains – relief rainfall

– Similar temperatures to BMW (5 – 15 degrees)

• Relief and Drainage– Low lying and undulating (gently rolling) in north and west.

– Perfect for commercial agriculture

– Coastline varies from metamorphic headlands (Killiney, Howth) and bays of limestone (Dublin Bay) Erosion in Killiney, deposition in Malahide.

– Rivers – Liffey, Boyne, Vartry.

– Kildare / Meath – lowlying, no major upland areas.

– Dublin mountains – barrier to development of roads and settlement.

Physical Characteristics Cntd.

• Soils– Mainly covered by fertile brown earth soils.– North Co. Dublin – marine deposition has

added sand to the brown earths making them suitable for intensive horticulture.

– Blanket peat is found on the uplands of the Wicklow Mountains

Primary Activities (Agriculture, forestry, fishing)

• Characterised by large, intensive, commercial horticulture and tillage farms.• Only 3% of population employed in agric.• Mechanised farms with high yields.• Near a large urban market.• Low transport costs• North Co. Dub. - Good soils, undulating landscape, mild climate (few frosts)

and low rainfall make it an area well suited to horticulture – Onions, cabbages, tomatoes, carrots.

• Glasshouse production is common.• Meath / Kildare – cereal growth (wheat)• Farmers do not use forestry as an alternative income source.• Cattle production is an important economic activity in Meath.• Agric land is under increasing pressure from urban sprawl of Dublin city.

Rezoning of land for residential or industrial use.• Kildare – emhasis on the bloodstock industry. (Horses).• Wicklow Mountains – sheep rearing

Forestry

• Wicklow is the most forested county as the land is more upland, has less fertile soil and is not as exploited for commercial agriculture.

• Wicklow Mountains – thin acidic soils, wetter climate and steeper ground.

• Forestry is more suited to this land than agriculture.

• Overall in the GDA, few farmers turn to forestry as an alternative to farming (unlike BMW)

Fishing

• Fishing industry based at Howth.

• Value of fish landed at Howth ranks 3rd in Ireland after Killybegs and Dunmore East.

• Dublin city is ranked 3rd in the numbers employed in Ireland after Killybegs and Cork.

• Mainly demersal fish caught.

Secondary Economic Activities.• GDA has many advantages for the location of industry, especially

in Dublin city.

• Dublin city – focus of Ireland’s transport network – road, rail, air, water.

• Dublin Port – Ireland’s main port. 1 million trucks per annum.

• Dublin’s hinterland – fertile farmland – variety of raw materials for the food processing industry.

• High population density – labour force / market.

• Dublin –national education centre – attractive location for knowledge-based industries – eg software.

• Wealthier people makes the region attractive for producers of high value luxury goods.

• Dublin is a service centre, providing support services for manufacturing, such as marketing and technical support.

.• Wider range of manufacturing than in periphery – brewing, food processing, printing, clothing, electronics.

• Dublin accounts for 32% of national employment in the manufacturing industry.

• Greater chance of finding another job in GDA should a company close, unlike in the BMW.

• Location of many world class knowledge-based multinational companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Intel etc.

• Food processing is very important – Cadburys.

• Irish printing and publishing industry based in Dublin – Independent – Citywest.

• Manufacturing is widely dispersed across GDA and not confined to a few urban centres (like in BMW).

• Transport – very important to industry – movement away from traditional location in the docklands to industrial estates and business parks close to the M50 and Airport.

Tertiary Activities • Dublin dominates tertiary activities in GDA.

• Communications

– Transport and communications related work – 9% of workforce in Dublin.

– Important centre of communications with a variety of transport methods (port, LUAS etc)

• Public Services– Dublin is administrative capital of country – large share of workforce in

Dublin employed in public administration – gardai, government departments etc.

– Health services are important part of tertiary sector.

– Dublin – 6 private, 15 public hospitals. 75 health-board registered nursery / creche centres providing childcare facilities in the city.

– Finincial services – major growth industry in the region. IFSC employs over 6,000 people in 25 of the world’s top 50 banks.

Tertiary Activities cntd.

• Teleservices.– Hertz has located its European call centre in

Swords.– City West business campus is the location of

Ireland’s National Digital Park – This park has been developed as the central

location for e-commerce and technology companies who need high speed digital communications services.

Education

• Dublin – home to some of the country’s most respected educational institutions.

• University of Dublin, Trinity, DCU.• Many 3rd level educational centres have

expanded in recent times – Tallaght and Blanchardstown Institutes of Technology.

• At least 5 private 3rd level colleges in the city

Tourism• Much greater scale of tourism here than in the BMW.• 2006 – over 6 million visitors to Dublin.• €1.2 billion generated for Dublin economy.• Year round industry unlike in BMW (seasonal).• Dublin – short break destination for city based holiday.• Art galleries, music venues, theatres, shops, restaurants

etc.• Kildare – racing and golfing (K-Club – Ryder Cup)• Meath’s main attraction – Newgrange.• Wicklow – beautiful scenery – Glendalough,

Powerscourt Gardens.

                                               

                                           

Problem in GDA – Transport Services• As in all core regions, transport can be a

problem.

• Urban sprawl, and the increase in car ownership have led to severe congestion.

• The Transport 21 project includes several plans to improve the GDA’s transport problems. (Page 304 / 305)

Transport 21• The name given to the planned development of the transport system in Ireland

between 2005 – 2015.• Investment covers national roads, public transport and airports.• Total estimated cost - €34.4 billion.• Aims of Transport 21

– Increase accessibility to and from all regions.– Ensure sustainability of transport services.– Expand capacity of infrastructure.– Increase people’s use of public transport.– Improve quality of transport infrastructure.

• This involves:– Upgrading M50– Construction of metro – Building Atlantic Corridor route from Donegal to Waterford– Upgrading current rail routes.– Reopening other rail routes– Projects listed on page 316

Transport 21 Projects• New LUAS lines• 2 metro lines in Dublin and an underground line

and station at St. Stephen’s Green linking Heuston and Connolly.

• Dart extensions.• Removal of trucks from city centre due to the Port

Tunnel.• Debate whether or not to buy out the M50 toll

bridge from the toll company (NTR) is still ongoing.

Dublin’s Port Tunnel Under Construction

Human Processes in GDA• 2006 – 1,661,185 people.• Surplus of females, reflected by the greater numbers in

health and education.• Government investment in services for childcare and the

elderly will need to be provided by the government.• 2021 – GDA – 41% of total population of Ireland.• Numbers of young people and old people will increase.• Dublin – cultural melting pot.• More religions here over the last decade.• Dublin is often 1st stop for immigrants.• Multicultural city.• Primary and secondary schools have students from all

over the world.

Planning Policies for the GDA.• NDP – National Development Plan• Address traffic congestion and urban sprawl.• Maintain Dublin as a national gateway serving

entire country.• Build on Dublin’s economic performance,

improve jobs and reduce unemployment.• Develop tourism and promote social inclusion.• Maintain a viable rural economy.• Continue development of transport links to the rest

of the country.

NSS – National Spatial Strategy (2002 – 2020)

• Enhance competitiveness of the GDA.• Monitor growth of the Dublin City Region.• Manage Dublin as a gateway so that other areas

have the opportunity to become similarly strong.• Manage the location of industry and zoning of

land.• Integrate transport.• Develop the hinterlands of the GDA.

Decentralisation• Planned relocation of government and Office of

Public Works staff in Dublin to other areas of GDA and Ireland.

• Should help reduce traffic congestion and ease pressures on other services in the area.

• Offices listed for relocation within GDA include:– Revenue Commissioners to Athy.

– Probation and Welfare Service, Garda Civilian HR unit, National Property Services, Regulatory Authority and Coroner’s Agency to Navan.

– Department of Finance to Kildare.

– Department of Environment to Wexford