RURAL areas are being denuded of vibrant young workers as Dublin industries draw their labour force from the provinces, according to a Mayo industrialist.
Sean Hannick, managing director of Killala Precision Components and a member of the County Enterprise Board, said Mayo lost up to 1,000 people annually to find jobs in Dublin, other large cities, or through emigration.
"The answer is simple, straightforward and makes good economic sense - bring the jobs to the people." Otherwise, the west could degenerate into a reservation. He said the majority of jobs announced by the IDA for the Dublin region could be sustained in any part of rural Ireland.
