The economic performance of counties in the Border and Western regions is now better than the Midlands and South East, a conference on rural development in Tullamore has been told today.
An expert from the State's farm authority, Teagasc, told the conference that the Midlands and South East are the new disadvantaged areas of this country.
Traditionally the South East and parts of the Midlands have enjoyed strong economic activity. But now a study has shown that economic performance there has fallen, and that the Border and Western counties have overtaken them.
The Teagasc conference was told that household income in the Midlands and South East is now below 85% of the national average. In the Border and West it is nearly 90% of the national average.
David Meredith of TEAGASC said that household income in Wexford in recent years fell by 4% to 83% of the national average while in Clare it remains static at 91%.
Mr Meredith said that the natural resources and favourable location of Wexford does not guarantee better economic performance. By contrast, he said, Clare has engaged more actively with so called new economy enterprises.
Another TEAGASC scientist, Caroline Crowley, said that the proportion of the workforce employed in agriculture nationally has fallen in the past decade from 14% to 5%. Ms Crowley said that between 1990 and 2002 income from agriculture grew by only 25% while there was a 200% rise in non agricultural income.
