The Mid-West Regional Work Programme for 2008 is as follows:

Regional Economic Strategy/Regional Planning Guidelines:

The National Spacial Strategy is being implemented through Regional Planning Guidelines which were prepared in accordance with Chapter (III) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 and were published in May 2004.

The MWRA is implementing its RPG’s/RES through three sub-groups:

Sub Group 1- Co-ordination of development of zone one area. This group consists of representatives from the MWRA, Local Authorities, IDA, Shannon Development, DOEHLG and the Department of Transport. This group has agreed the need for a more focused and structured approach to the development of Limerick/Ennis/Shannon.

Sub Group 2- Develop a common approach to Renewable Energy. This group consists of representatives from the MWRA, Local Authorities, Shannon Development, Tipperary Energy Agency, Limerick/Clare Energy Agency and the DOEHLG. Four areas have been identified that support development of Renewable Energy: 1) Regional Energy and Emissions Strategy 2) Wood Energy Development in Public Buildings 3) Planning Guidelines for small scale Renewable Energy Projects and 4) Biofuels for Public Service Vehicles.

A Regional Biomass working group was established. The purpose of the group is to develop an indigenous heat energy market, utilising local resources for the Mid West Region.

 

Sub Group 3- The identification of a Strategic Development Zone or the criteria through which a zone should be developed. This group consists of representatives from the MWRA, Local Authorities, Shannon Development, Shannon Airport Authority, IDA, IBEC and the DOEHLG. The group is also examining the potential of an Iconic Project such as a Regional Convention Centre.

 

Shannon Airport Marketing Consultative Committee:

The Regional Authority provides the Secretariat to this Government appointed committee which is comprised of members from the Public and Local Authorities, together with the Tourism interests such as hoteliers, travel agents etc. This committee supervises the marketing of Shannon Airport but it also looks at the contribution factors to a successful airport such as Transport, Tourism, product, industry etc. and as such, makes a valuable contribution to the preparation of the various tourism, industrial and transportation policies in the Mid West Region and the West of Ireland in general. The focus of the Airport is to maintain its share of the transatlantic traffic, post Open Skies.

               

Lough Derg Marketing Strategy

The marketing of Lough Derg was being carried out in a disjointed and co-ordinated manner, lacking focus and clear direction. It was agreed that the MWRA, Limerick, Clare, North Tipperary and Galway County Councils, Limerick City Council, Shannon Development and Waterways Ireland would commission a marketing strategy for Lough Derg. The objectives of the Plan are to bring a coherent marketing focus to the Lough Derg catchment area, to parallel the proposed capital investment programme with an integrated marketing strategy and to establish the Lough Derg Brand nationally and internationally. Consultants were engaged to prepare the marketing strategy. A number of Consultation Fora were held during the preparation of the Strategy.

A Lough Derg Marketing Strategy Implementation Group was established and the focus of the Group in 2007 was on Website Development and Promotional Map and Brochure.

 

EU Projects:
CitizenFirst

CitizenFirst  Is  a  European  Project  funded  by  the  INTERREG  IIIB  NWE  Programme from December 2004 to September 2007.  Partners in the project represent five regions in Ireland (Mid-West), UK (Cambridge), Netherlands (Eindhoven) and Belgium (Ieper & Kortrijk).  The main aim of the CitizenFirst Project is to empower citizen interaction by improving public services delivery in the Information Society. 

The Mid-West Regional Authority is Lead Partner in the CitizenFirst Project.  In 2006 the project was successful in securing a extension from the Programme Secretariat with the new end date of 31 March 2008. 

CitizenFirst for eInclusion will address eInclusion in its many facets. The project builds directly on CitizenFirst and help pave the way for the “European Initiative on eInclusion” in 2008. In particular, the project will extend the citizen-centric local eGovernment services in the 5 NWE Regions of the Citizen First project, to socially-inclusive local eGovernment services addressing the local circumstances and objectives of each region, by building on the transnational cooperation, inter-regional best-practice and experience-sharing that has led to the success of the current CitizenFirst project.

 

Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly 

The Mid West Regional Authority is represented at official level on the Operational Committee, Economic and Social Infrastructure Sub-Committee and Monitoring Committee of the Southern and Eastern Regional Assembly. 

 

 

National Monitoring Committees 

The Cathaoirleach and the Director of each Regional Authority represent their Authority on the various CSF National Monitoring Committees.  The Mid-West Regional Authority is represented on the Employment and Human Resources Monitoring Committee.

 

For more information on each of these Activities please visit each Activity on the Home Page.