The CSO released data on County Incomes and Regional GDP for 2017 last month (along with preliminary figures for 2018). In this post changes in disposable incomes per person in Western Region counties incomes in the Western Region are examined with a particular focus on the differences among counties and the changes over time. Regional […]
The WDC recently made a submission to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) consultation on the Review of Sustainable Mobility Policy and associated background papers. One of the functions of the WDC is regional policy analysis. The WDC seeks to ensure that government policy reflects the needs of, and maximises the potential of, […]
To reduce the carbon footprint of our rural homes, the decarbonisation of the energy used for heat is essential. We have to switch to renewable energy, either electrical (generated from wind, solar or in future ocean energy) or bioenergy (e.g. solid biomass, biogas or liquid biofuels). Some of the options for renewable heat were outlined […]
How we heat our rural homes needs to change significantly as we move to a low carbon society. There is an important focus on energy efficiency in our homes (read more here) and the government Climate Action Plan has set very ambitious targets for improving energy efficiency including retrofitting 500,000 buildings to a higher level […]
As we move towards a lower carbon society one of the key trends will be increased electrification and using renewable electricity to fuel our heat and transport. This will involve very significant changes in how we consume and are supplied with electricity in our homes. Following the recent post on electricity use, some issues of […]
Trail blazers from the world of Artificial Intelligence alongside international and national policy makers will gather in Sligo for The ‘AIforGood Global Visions’ conference from 25th-27th March. The event which is fully supported and endorsed by the United Nations agency for Information and Communications (ITU), will be the first of this kind to be held […]
The way we use electricity in our rural homes, and the opportunities for change, are important considerations for how we to transition to low carbon living. Unlike heat and transport, there are few significant differences between urban and rural dwellers in the type and way we use our electricity, but it is useful to consider […]
€40m has been allocated to 26 projects nationally from the Regional Enterprise Development Fund. Ten of the projects, with a total value of more than €16m, are based along The Atlantic Economic Corridor. The Western Development Commission is supporting a number of these projects including Grow Remote, Comhoibriú and Future Mobility Campus Ireland. As a […]
Understanding the reasons rural dwellers travel is essential to ensuring we can take focused, effective, and fair climate action and aid a transition to low carbon rural regions. In this the second blog post examining data on travel and journeys in Western Region counties and rural areas, the need to travel to services, the distance […]
Rural people are more reliant on car based transport, they have less available public transport and tend to travel greater distances. Rural dwellers’ transport and travel patterns need to be central to our climate action planning. There must be detailed consideration of transport issues for smaller settlements and rural areas. Following on from the posts […]
United Nations AI for Good Conference Announced for SligoJanuary 16, 2020 - 11:07 pm
Western Development Commission welcomes more than €16m for key projects along the Atlantic Economic Corridor January 8, 2020 - 6:15 pm
Western Development Commission Leading the Way on Blue Circular EconomyDecember 19, 2019 - 11:15 am