5: Economic Development, Enterprise and Retail Development
This chapter opens with the ambition “to develop and build on the economic strengths and assets of
the county as a thriving, competitive and attractive place for a range of sectors to locate, based on the principles of a well established economic base that is highly appealing to both investors and
employees”.
⚫ But the offer to make the county an attractive place for a range of sectors to locate fails to
recognise the increasingly important role social enterprises and co-operatives play in Irish
society.
⚫ The suggestion that we should appeal to both investors and employees is valid but also fails to
highlight the important role that businesses can play supporting their local communities and
not just as employers and ratepayers but as active participants in the sustainable development
of the region.
Proposed amendment or inclusion:
⚫ The first National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland was published in 2019 and with the
recognition of social enterprises as businesses whose “core objective is to achieve a social,
societal or environmental impact. Like other businesses, social enterprises trade in goods or
services on an ongoing basis. However, any surpluses they generate are reinvested into
achieving a social impact.”
⚫ The growth of organisations such as Rethink Ireland highlights the emergence of this sector.
Since 2016 they have established a €72 million fund, supporting 246 social innovations, reaching
over 400,000 people, creating over 500 jobs in the social innovation sector and supporting
almost 1,000 people into employment. It is important to note that this ‘growth’ delivered by
social innovations is more sustainable, just and economically viable in the long-term.
⚫ Galway County Council can support this sector by making including the following commitments
in the Local Area Development Plan:
⚫ A commitment to facilitate, enable and support the development of a vibrant Social Enterprise
sector, as a valuable and important component of the overall economic vision for County
Galway.
⚫ A commitment to work with Social Enterprises to access and develop appropriate fit for
purpose land and buildings as spaces to enable development and growth of new
services and products.
⚫ A commitment to include Social Clauses in Public Procurement.
⚫ A commitment to identity and disseminate best practice local examples of social enterprises
and increase public understanding of their contribution to society and the economy.
Rationale:
The Draft plan currently has no references to social enterprises or cooperatives as potential drivers
of sustainable development despite these organisations being best placed to do so. A strong social
enterprise sector in the county can support Galway Councils aim to achieve the SDG’s by 2030.
Chapter Organisations such as Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland
(SERI) are available meet with local authorities to advise how best support local Social Enterprises across their county.
5: Economic Development, Enterprise and Retail Development
Chapter 5 also includes the suggestion that when “identifying areas for employment, enterprise and
retail related development a concerted emphasis will be placed on facilitating and encouraging
carbon reduction through various mechanisms. The focus on delivering jobs in close proximity to
residential areas to enable people to use sustainable transport modes to access work (walking,
cycling and public transport ) is at a most basic level something that is supported to help address the
Climate Change agenda. The shift to a low carbon economy across Galway is seen as an opportunity
for further employment creation within this sector through technological innovation and
investment.”
Proposed amendment or inclusion:
⚫ Proposing that we shift to more sustainable transport modes to access work is, as suggested,
something that should be done at the most basic level. In reality, the entire economic system
we live in needs to be adjusted. This shift is already happening in a number of locations across
the world and Galway County Council can lead in this transformation in Ireland by collaborating
with communities to implement new ideas. Two of the primary drivers in this area are:
◆
Doughnut Economics which offers a vision of what it means for humanity to thrive in the 21st century
Further information, including the implementation of this model in a number of locations can be found here:
https://doughnuteconomics.org/
◆ Community Wealth Building is a new people centred approach to local economic development, which redirects wealth back into the local economy, and places control and benefits into the hands of local people. This model has proven to be particularly successful in Preston in the UK and Cleveland in the US with more local councils now adopting the model with great success. More information can be found on: https://cles.org.uk/
While both of these models (and others) are relatively new in practice the County Development Plan
can begin to look at their implementation at a local level by working with communities in strategic
sites they have identified in the plan. Pilot programmes should be included to test and experiment
with new economic ideas that can support regeneration efforts across the county.
Rationale:
ES1 of the Draft Development Plan states it’s “Support the preparation of an Economic Development
Strategy for County Galway” with and emphasis on “significant economic growth within the metropolitan towns, key towns and areas of strategic potential”.
The challenge with this position is that economic growth, in a business as usual scenario, contradicts the climate action objectives of the plan. Doughnut Economics and Community Wealth Building offer two examples of emerging economic models that are place based and more sustainable to a society confronted with a climate Chapter and biodiversity emergency. The onus is on Galway County Council to recognise these emerging innovations and work towards something that is truly more sustainable. A more open and experimental approach needs to be taken that works with and co
designs solutions at a community level. This re-emphasises the above point that social enterprises and cooperatives need to be included as important actors in economic, enterprise and retail development in the region.