23 July 1997
Plan to safeguard Swinford's future
By Tom Kelly
Top level moves are underway to safeguard Swinford's industrial future.There is concern that the town is 'highly dependent' on one large company, Baxter Healthcare, employing a total of 135 people.
A study commissioned by Mayo County Council outlined the town was 'a very poorly developed industrial base for a town of its size.' Now a development plan is being put in place by Mayo County Council to improve Swinford's employment prospects into the next century.
The authority wants to ensure that adequate lands and services are allocated to facilitate new economic opportunities in Swinford. It is planned to acquire a land bank at Kilkelly Road for industrial purposes. The independent survey showed that 60 per cent of all those employed were involved with service functions. The local industrial and manufacturing sectors were under represented and accounted for only 16 per cent of those on the workforce.
Said Mr. Des Mahon, county manager: "Swinford's industrial sector is poorly developed in its diversity.
"The Industrial Development Authority does not own land in the town and there is no recognised industrial zone within the town boundary.
"Over 70% of all industrial employment is dependent on one company."
Mr. Mahon made the point that Swinford's proximity to established industrial centres in Ballina and Castlebar was likely to be an inhibiting factor to industrial development in Swinford.
But it was a priority of the council to press ahead with a proposal for an industrial land bank as well as encourage new secondary sector employment opportunities in the community.
EXISTING IMBALANCES
The Swinford report indicated the general structure of the town was unbalanced due to losses in the younger, economically active age groups.
Said Mr. Mahon: "Unless new employment opportunities are created in the locality, continuing out-migration in the young age groups will further exacerbate the existing imbalances in the town's population structure."
Also to be taken into account is the fact that over 1,000 people are currently unemployed in the Swinford Exchange Area. Another concern highlighted in the survey was that 70 per cent of industries located in the town were very small in scale and employed less than five people.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mahon confirmed it was an objective of Mayo County Council to provide permanent halting sites and facilities for travelling communities 'in areas where there is a proven need.'
But, at present, the council had no plans to build a halting site in Swinford. The provision of a new Town Hall is viewed as a more immediate need.
