Esri Ireland survey reveals 4 in 5 Irish adults agree more public investment should be allocated outside Dublin

Esri Ireland, the market leader in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), today announces the findings of a new nationwide survey which uncovered a wide range of citizen concerns surrounding strategic planning and long-term investment in Ireland. The survey of more than 1,000 adults in Ireland, carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Esri Ireland, discovered that four out of five adults surveyed agree that more public funding should be allocated to investment in regions outside of Dublin.

While the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 long-term overarching strategy aims to address employment and infrastructure disparities between the capital and other communities across the country, the survey showed there is little knowledge or awareness of this plan amongst the general population. Just one in ten are aware of Project Ireland 2040 and its contents, with 64% having never heard of the initiative.

The research shed more light on people’s perceptions of infrastructure planning where they live. Taking population and existing infrastructure into account, half of the respondents say that housing is poorly planned in their area, while it also emerged that 53% believe that public transport options are lacking in their local area. The majority (65%) agree that more investment is needed to improve cycling infrastructure

On a more positive note, 65% also say schools and colleges are well planned in their locality, making it the best-planned area of infrastructure ahead of public parks and playgrounds (64%) and retail and shopping developments (59%).

In terms of broadband infrastructure, almost one-quarter (24%) are dissatisfied with internet speeds in their area. While the National Broadband Plan seeks to deliver a high-speed broadband network to provide equal access to all, just 45% of adults in Ireland believe the project will be a success.

According to the findings, many believe Ireland is lagging behind other countries in key areas such as transport and health infrastructure. In comparison to European counterparts, 55% of adults say that Ireland’s public transport network is worse. With regard to access to hospitals and emergency services, 43% say we are behind while 36% say we are on par with other European countries.

Paul Synnott, managing director, Esri Ireland, said: “By 2040, it is estimated that there will be roughly an extra one million people living in Ireland, requiring hundreds of thousands of new jobs, new homes and new cultural and social amenities. Project Ireland 2040 seeks to guide a sustainable and strategic approach to preparing and investing for this future, but based on results from this survey, it would seem that there is a disconnect in how Government is communicating its long term strategy to the general public.

“Although the results indicate a prevailing belief that more needs to be done in terms of regional connectivity, public transport and housing availability, it’s encouraging to see more positive sentiments on our educational infrastructure and green spaces. Joined-up thinking driven by long-term strategies and a location-aware approach will be central to improving planning and ensuring we can deliver better infrastructure for all. Location, place and geography all enable better decision making. It is our hope to see strong, geospatial-intelligent leadership and governance at the highest levels of our civil service underpinning efforts to build a fairer and more equal Ireland.”

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