Local Government Fostering Job Creation

Nat O'Connor: The County and City Managers Association (CCMA), the umbrella group of the local authority head managers, has published a study showing 2,323 projects and initiatives where local authorities have helped boost job creation.

The press release and 30-page full report can be accessed on www.lgma.ie. There is also a spreadsheet list of the various initiatives.

Many of the initiatives are small scale (less than €10,000) although some major investments (€1m+) are included too.

It is an interesting exercise in both openness about spending plus showing where efforts are being made to foster employment. It would be worth detailed analysis at local level to see what initiatives are working well (or not), which ones are cost efficient and what different counties can learn from one another. Obviously, local authorities have been asked to play a role in the national Action Plan for Jobs. This report gives some indication of what might kinds of actions might be possible in that space.

Dr Nat O'Connor     @natpolicy

Nat O’Connor is lecturer in social policy in UCD’s School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice and part-time policy specialist at Age Action Ireland. Previously Director of TASC, Nat also led the research team in Dublin’s Homeless Agency.

He has taught politics and social policy since 1999. He has a PhD in Political Science from Trinity College Dublin and a MA in Political Science and Social Policy from the University of Dundee. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK), a member of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) and chairperson of the Irish Social Policy Association (ISPA). You can find him on LinkedIn (natoconnor) and TwitterX @natpolicy