Did you know that the relative income for Kerry in 1998 was significantly below the national average or that the County has the most extensive National Secondary Road Network in the Country.This section gives some of the key statistics for the County and outlines some of the challenges which we face and the opportunities that we should aim towards.

2.1 Statistical Summary of County Kerry:

• Arts and Culture: There are over 300 arts interests registered with the County Arts Office. County Kerry is home to nationally and internationally recognised festivals including the Rose of Tralee International Festival, Writers Week in Listowel, Puck Fair in Killorglin and a wide range of other local facilities. Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland is located in Tralee while the County has public libraries in Tralee, Killarney, Listowel, Caherciveen, Killorglin, Kenmare, Dingle, Ballybunion and Castleisland. (Source: Kerry County Council.) These libraries are a focal point for cultural activities in the Community. Exhibitions, lectures and other educational/Cultural/Community activities are held in all libraries regularly.

  
  

• Childcare: There are 1,296 sessional places and 238 full day care places in Kerry. Additionally there are 834 four year olds and 1,936 five year olds in school.
  A County Childcare Committee indicative analysis suggests that there are over 1,000 children (aged 3-6) who do not have access to a preschool or national school place. It also suggests that the number of full day care places is insufficient to meet the needs.
  There is a need for services catering for the 6-12 age group, after school, in home support and respite care. (Source: Kerry County Childcare Committee.)

  
  

• Crime: The reported crime rate of 11.46 per thousand population in Kerry is much lower than the national average which is 25.79 per thousand population. (Source: Kerry Atlas.)

  
  

• Disability: It is estimated that approximately 10% of the population of the County i.e. approximately 13,000 people have disabilities. 40% of persons with disability live in rural areas. (Source: Kerry Network of People with Disabilities.)

  
  

• Education/Training: There are 147 primary schools, 29 post primary schools and 1 third level college in the County. There are 11,684 pupils attending secondary school and 14,697 pupils attending primary school in the County. 1,032 students are in receipt of a higher education grant from Kerry County Council while 1,068 students received third level and post-leaving certificate grants from the Kerry Education Service (VEC) in 2000/2001. (Source: Department of Education, Kerry Education Service and Kerry County Council.)

  
  

• Employment: In 1996, 19% of the workforce were working in agriculture and mining, 7.2% in construction, 1.1% in electricity and gas, 18.2% in commerce, 4% in transport, 4.3% in public administration, 16% in professional service, 14.9% in manufacturing and 15.3% in other occupations. (Source: Census, 1996)

  
  

• Enterprise: There are twelve Enterprise Development Agencies in the County. There are twenty six Industrial Development Authority (IDA) supported companies, thirty seven supported by Shannon Development, sixty one by Enterprise Ireland, twelve by Údarás na Gaeltachta and a total of four hundred and ninety six smaller projects assisted by the County Enterprise Board. The newly constructed Kerry Technology Park in Tralee and Kerry Technology Institute (KTI), Killarney provide incubation and soft supports to start up technology based industries. (Source: Enterprise Agencies.)

  
  

• Health: There are two acute hospitals in Kerry, Tralee General Hospital and Bon Secours Private Hospital in Tralee. Tralee General Hospital treats 15,000 in-patients per annum and approximately 40,000 patients attend the out patients department annually. Acute hospital care for the mentally ill is provided in the acute unit in Tralee General Hospital. The five community hospitals in Kerry are located in Kenmare, Killarney (including St. Columbanus Hospital), Dingle, Caherciveen and Listowel. The dependency ratio i.e. the measure of those aged less than 15 and over 65 as a proportion of the rest of the population is higher in Kerry than the national average while the support ratio i.e. the number of people aged 15 - 64 is the lowest in Ireland.
  Injuries and deaths resulting from accidents are higher in Kerry than the national average. Suicide rates, especially in young males are also higher than average in Kerry. The standardised mortality rate (SMR) for cancer in Kerry has been at a lower level than the national rate for at least the past ten years. (Source: Southern Health Board.)

  
  

• Heritage: There is a wealth of archaeological heritage spread throughout Kerry. The County has the largest area of native wood cover in Ireland. Oakwoods in Killarney lie alongside one of the only three yew woods in Europe. The heritage of Kerry encompasses our language, literature, pastimes, sport, culture and history. (Source: Kerry County Council.)

  
  

• Housing Accommodation: There are 3,342 local authority houses in the County. The Housing Strategy estimates that the number of households in Kerry is expected to rise by approximately 5,199 units over the period 2001 to 2006. Specifically, there is an overall need to provide approximately 3,201 additional social and affordable housing units in this period. (Source: Kerry County Council.)
  
  
• Income: The relative disposable income per capita for Kerry was 85.1% of the state average for 1998 representing a reduction from 86.8% in 1997. (Source: CSO Household Incomes - May 2001.)

  
  

• Income/Wealth: A measure of the relative wealth of an area is usually carried out using a deprivation scale. County Kerry is second highest in Munster in the deprivation scale index scoring 5.54. By way of contrast, the overall Munster area scored 4.34 which is below the state average of 4.64. (Source: T. Haase - Munster a Socio-Economic Profile 1999)

  
  

• Infrastructure/Broadband Network: The national backbone network consists of a core of 40 Gbit/s fibre cable. Most of southern Ireland is serviced by this with the exception of Kerry which is served by two offshoot 2.5 Gbit/s Fibre to Listowel, Tralee and Killarney. (Source: Shannon Development and Eurogise.)

  
  

• Infrastructure/Energy: All main urban areas in the County are served by 110 kv electricity supply with more rural areas being served by 38 kv supply. Two privately owned wind farms operate in the County, one with 3.96 MW and the other with 15.8 MW output. There are two privately owned hydro stations with 1,032 kw and 650 kw capacity respectively. Kerry County Council has recently constructed a hydro station at Lough Guitane, which began generating electricity in Oct 2001. There are existing ESB electricity generating stations in Tarbert and Caherciveen with a further station across the Shannon Estuary in Moneypoint, Co. Clare. There is no natural gas supply pipeline in Kerry. (Source: ESB, Saorgas, Kerry County Council.)

  
  

• Infrastructure/Transport: The County has 97 km of national primary road and 333 km of national secondary road, the latter being the highest of any County in Ireland. In 2001, 3024 new cars were licensed for the first time in Kerry which represents a 55% reduction in the numbers registered in 2000. About 40% of the rural population live in areas without any kind of scheduled public transport service. (Source: Kerry County Council and Report of Interdepartmental Work Group on Rural Transport.)

  
  

• Irish Language: Kerry has two Gaeltacht areas located on the Dingle and Iveragh Peninsulas. In 1996, 57,204 people over the age of three years claimed that they could speak Irish while 15,763 claimed to speak Irish on a daily basis. (Source: CSO.)

  
  

• Population: The population of County Kerry in 1996 was 126,130 people. At present (2002) the population of the County is estimated to be 136,000 people (based on Central Statistics Office (CSO) Population projection models). The population of Kerry is ageing. This fact is illustrated by the 25% reduction in primary school pupils between 1988 and 2000. (Source: CSO & Kerry Atlas.)

  
  

• Population in Urban Areas: There are significant population growth increases predicted for Tralee and Killarney. The population of Tralee is estimated to grow from 19,900 in 1996 to over 24,000 in 2011 while the population of Killarney, including the immediate environs of the town, is estimated to increase from 13,996 to approximately 17,000 in 2011. (Source: CSO & Kerry Atlas.)

  
  

• Sports and Recreation: There are approximately 317 sports clubs in the County. The County has 4 sports centres and a water world (Aqua Dome). There is only one public swimming pool in the County. There are 13 blue flag beaches and 1 blue flag marina in the County. (Source: Kerry County Council Sports Facilities Report.)

  
  

• Rail: There is a single rail line access to the County measuring some 72 km from Mallow to Killarney through to Tralee.

  
  

• Tourism: County Kerry ranks third in overseas visitors (2000) in the Country, behind Dublin and Cork. However, the County ranks fourth in revenue with County Galway earning the third highest in revenue. The total revenue (overseas plus domestic) generated from tourists in the County is approximately £300 million per annum. 80 - 85% of overseas tourists to the County arrive via the East Coast while 15 - 20% arrive via the South and Western Coast. The percentage of overseas visitors to Kerry in proportion to the overall national figure decreased by some 7% between 1996 and 1999. (Source: Bord Fáilte & Tourism Agencies)

  
  

• Travellers: There are 238 traveller families resident in Kerry, 205 in Local Authority housing units, 25 on residential sites and 8 on the roadside. (Source, Kerry County Council - Jan. 2000)

  
  

• Unemployment: The live register figure decreased from 7203 in 1996 to 5860 in February 2000 with a further decrease to 4874 in May 2001. In December 2001 the numbers on the live register increased to 6162. (Source: DSCFA and CSO).

  
  

• Waste Management: Approximately 60480 tonnes of waste is disposed of annually at the Muingnaminnane facility located some 11 km north east of Tralee. This landfill is licensed by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). (Source: Kerry County Council.)

  
  

• Water supplies: There are 69 Public Water Schemes in the County. (Source: Kerry County Council.)

2.2 The Challenges and Opportunities which face County Kerry

The economic environment is changing. County Kerry, and Ireland as a whole, has benefited from positive economic trends over the last five years though recent trends suggest a downturn in economic growth.

The statistical analysis of Kerry (paragraph 2.1) displays growth in many areas and inward migration. However, these overall trends can mask the true situation in Kerry. For example, the relative disposable income was 85% of the state average for 1998 representing a reduction from 86.8% in 1997. In addition the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001 together with the sad events of September 11th 2001 in the United States highlighted the fragility of our local economy which is based on tourism and agriculture as the main sources of wealth.

Looking to the future, the economic environment will change and present challenges for the County. In addressing these challenges, we recognise the inherent strengths of the County, address the weaknesses that exist and look forward to the future. To achieve this, we need to concentrate on some key themes, develop strategies for these themes, identify objectives and take action.

Prior to examining the specific challenges and opportunities for Kerry, it is important to consider some of the key influences on the national and local economy. These include:

• Globalisation and Competition are Realities
  Globalisation is the increased integration of world markets. It can be seen in the increasing separation of where goods and services are produced and where they are bought or consumed. In 1998, it was estimated that in the period up to 2006, the value of world output would rise by between 2.0% and 2.5% per annum while the total value of total world trade will rise at three times that rate (National Institute of Economic Social Review (NIESR), 1998). While recent evidence suggests that the economy is beginning to slow down, the likelihood is that the overall value of total world trade will continue to rise. Globalisation represents a benefit as it allows for wider choice and increased competition. It also means that regions and counties that are not competitive and flexible will find the demands for their products being met from sources elsewhere and their incomes and opportunities correspondingly reduced. This is of particular relevance to Kerry which relies on tourism as a major source of income to the county.

  
  Competition is also becoming more intense within national and regional economies. In addressing the issue of competition, we realise that we cannot operate in a vacuum and that there is a need for firms and businesses in this County to enter into collaborative relationships such as networks or clusters and meet the challenges of greater external competition through the pooling of resources and ideas. This collaborative process signifies a new way of doing business and it is a core principle of what the Kerry County Development Board is trying to achieve.

  
  

• Technological Change is Rapid
  Technological Change leads to innovations such as changes in the way things are produced and how firms organise themselves. It is well established that manufacturing firms which introduce new and improved products or processes experience faster sales growth and higher profits than those which do not. For Kerry, technological advance is important because it means that the physical location of production is less important. This is significant for an area located in a peripheral location, not alone within a national context but also within a regional context. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that while overall manufacturing employment fell among its members during the period 1970 to 1993, it increased by 20% in technology based industries. The message here is that economies which are geared towards innovation are less likely to experience recession.

  
  

• "Knowledge" is Essential
  Knowledge has become perhaps the most important factor determining the standard of living. The most technologically advanced economies are knowledge based. For example, around 70% of the production costs of a new car is now attributable to knowledge in the form of styling, design and software. Knowledge based economic activity is less location dependent and this provides opportunities for development of regions which are peripheral.

  
  

• "Services" Provide a Real Alternative
  Traditionally, Kerry has had a low manufacturing base and this is clearly reflected in the relative income figures for the County. While manufacturing is important, services are more likely to be the main source of output and employment growth in the coming years.

  For example, in 1975 11.1% of the European Union (EU) workforce was employed in agriculture, 39.55% in manufacturing and 49.4% in services. By 1996, these figures had changed to 5.1%, 29.8% and 65.1% respectively. Kerry has a low manufacturing base and the strategy of the Board is to seek to widen this base while recognising that real economic growth can also be achieved within the services sector. We are heavily dependant on agriculture and tourism as the main drivers of economic activity and therefore we must gear ourselves to take up the challenges in migrating to a service based County

  
  

• Work Patterns are Changing
  The nature and manner in which we do our work is changing. The so-called nine to five job is fast declining with part-time work and contract work increasing. The availability of people for work has become a difficulty across all sectors. New methods are necessary, new approaches identified and this must continue to inform and be part of a flexible approach to working patterns.

  
  

• Environment and Quality of Life are our Strengths
  The Mission Statement of the Kerry County Development Board recognises that the Strategy must meet with the criteria of environmental sustainability. There is increasing awareness of environmental issues in the County. An inherent strength of our County is its clean environment which is consistently identified as one of the primary reasons for visiting Kerry. Together with environmental awareness, there is also a greater appreciation of what is meant by quality of life. As the County progresses, quality of life will become a bigger issue for all of us.

For Kerry the challenges are: Recognising that we do not operate in isolation but in a wider context. We must look beyond the boundaries to what is happening in other economies. Whether we accept or deny it, globalisation is a reality. If County Kerry is to maintain or increase its share in the tourism market, we must recognise this. There are certain institutional and geographic configurations within the County that must be addressed. Kerry is divided north and south for enterprise promotion purposes, tourism marketing and within the Gaeltacht regions. The peripheral location of Kerry within a national and European context poses certain challenges in areas such as manufacturing and enterprise based activities. While the population of the County is increasing and more people are returning to Kerry than before, it is also true that the population is ageing. The dependency ratio in Kerry is higher than in other Counties while the County has a higher proportion of under twenty-five's on the live register than the national average. There are identified infrastructural deficiencies within the County in areas such as roads, broadband and energy. There is no natural gas pipe line in Kerry and current proposals do not envisage the provision of a natural gas pipeline within the County. There is an increasing tendency towards urbanisation within the County. While the population of the County is increasing overall, this increase is almost exclusively due to significant increases within the urban areas of Tralee and Killarney. There is significant population decline in rural areas within the County, a fact which is re-enforced by the recent designation of large areas of the County under the CLÁR Programme (Department of Agriculture Food and Rural Development). While the County remains the preferred destination for overseas visitors after Dublin and Cork, Kerry has been losing its percentage share of the market. In addition, the average spend by overseas visitors in the County is significantly less than in other regions e.g. Cork and Galway.

The opportunities for Kerry are: A well educated and innovative people who have displayed the capacity to adapt and to lead in key areas of Irish society. The Kerry Group, a leader in global food ingredients markets and a leading consumer foods processing marketing organisation is an example of this innovation and leadership quality. The County has a unique environment and a quality of life which is unparalleled in other parts of the Country. The National Spatial Strategy public consultation document (published by the Department of Environment and Local Government (DOELG) identifies Kerry as a functional area within its own right. This is a recognition of the homogenous nature of the County and the strong County identity. The County's Gaeltacht areas represent a significant asset of people, resources and place. This fact must be recognised by people, organisations and agencies operating within and without the Gaeltacht areas. The County has a strong cultural identity and a range of cultural and recreational facilities which underpin its location as a desirable place to visit. County Kerry has a low reported crime rate, a rate which is significantly lower than the Country as a whole. Safe people and safe places are inherent strengths of the County. Kerry possesses an attractive business environment. The County has an attractive physical environment, a relatively low cost of living particularly when compared with the major cities in the Country and good quality public services. These factors help to make it more attractive to inward investors. Kerry has a range of services, particularly within the retail sector which are equal to the smaller cities within the Country. The marine environment of the County is yet to realise its full potential. Kerry has an extensive coastline affording opportunities in marine based leisure activities which complement the County's tourism product.