News, page 2
Minister's splendid vision sees future
cities that could save the West
Minister of State Eamon Ó Cuiv:
vision of cities of the future in the West.
by Ray Ryan
Agriculture Correspondent
A VISION of a new type of city in the West of Ireland was outlined yesterday by Minister of State Eamon Ó Cuiv.
Rather than the traditional type of city, he said he favoured the rebuilding of the traditional communities and towns in the area which have a focus, a loyalty, a heritage and tradition behind them.
These types of towns would include Charlestown, Tubbercurry, Swinford, Ballyhaunis, Knock, Claremorris, Kiltimagh and Castlebar, the minister said.
If the population were to increase in these towns, it would become viable within this area to provide necessary services, such as improved hospitals, third-level education, varied employed, he said.
New type of
urban-but-cosy
community
could rejuvenate
entire region
Minister O'Cuiv said at the same time the advantages of a multitude of small close-knit communities would be maintained and a new model of cities for the future could be created.
These would not become amorphous, socially-segregated, traffic-congested masses, but would be real live vibrant commumties built on long tradition, he said.
The Minister said this would also be a very economic method of development, as most of these communities have basic social and public infrastructure, such as schools, social facilities, football pitches, pubs, shops, health centres, many of which are under-utilised.
"We will create the new eco-friendly green city of the future in Mayo, which will be a clustered city and would be one of the most attractive areas to live," he said.
Minister O'Cuiv speaking at a seminar on Ireland - the Future, in Knock, Co Mayo, said there is a need to take radical steps to regenerate an area, which had 90,000 people in 1926, reduced to 45,000 by 1996.
"Clearly this area could do with major boost in population, bringing it back to the 1926 levels, or in other words a growth of population also over a period of time of about 45,000," he said.