South-East Region, Ireland
The South-East Region is a NUTS Level III region of Ireland. It consists of the area under the jurisdiction of the county councils of counties Carlow, Kilkenny, South Tipperary, Wexford, and Waterford City & County Council. The South-East region spans 9,406 km2, 13.5% of the total area of the state and according to the 2006 census has a population of 460,838. The regional capital is Waterford city.[1] Its NUTS code is IE024.
South-East Regional Authority
The South-East region was administered by the South-East Regional Authority, which consisted of 36 elected representatives including the region's representative on the EU Committee of the Regions. These representatives met once a month and are nominated from the five local government councils of the region:[1]
- Carlow County Council
- Kilkenny County Council
- South Tipperary County Council
- Waterford City and County Council
- Wexford County Council
The Regional Authorities were dissolved in 2014 and were replaced by Regional Assemblies.[2]
Demography
According to the 2006 census, the region had a population of 460,838, which constitutes 11.0% of the national population. Its population density was 49 persons per km2. The population of the regional capital, Waterford, was 49,213.[1]
The main urban centres within the region each exceed 17,000 in terms of population with an evenly distributed network of second and third-tier towns.[1] This is also supplemented by a strong rural settlement initiative.[1]
Economy
Regional GDP in 2004 was given as €11,695m, with GDP per capita forming 81.6% of the state. Its GDP per capita was 115.4% of EU25.[1] The workforce of the region in 2006 was 219,759, which equated to a 95.22% employment rate in 2007.[1]
The economy of the South-East region is primarily based on several key sectors, ranging from agriculture, to manufacturing, to services and tourism.[1] A high proportion of the regions manufacturing sector is foreign-owned. It is also an attractive area for investment due to it Industry and Technology parks a highly educated labour force bolstered by three Third Level Education Institutes.[1]
The economy is also strengthened by its good quality transport and economic infrastructure. Tourism in the region is aided by its rich natural, historic and archaeological sites, which attract over 2 million people annually.[1]
Major settlements
A list of the ten largest settlements in the South-East region. County capitals are included and are shown in bold.
| Rank | Urban Centres | County | Population (2011 census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waterford | Waterford | 51,519 |
| 2 | Kilkenny | Kilkenny | 24,423 |
| 3 | Carlow | Carlow | 23,030 |
| 4 | Wexford | Wexford | 20,072 |
| 5 | Clonmel | South Tipperary | 17,908 |
| 7 | Enniscorthy | Wexford | 10,838 |
| 6 | Tramore | Waterford | 10,328 |
| 8 | Dungarvan | Waterford | 9,427 |
| 10 | Gorey | Wexford | 9,114 |
| 9 | New Ross | Wexford | 8,151 |
See also
References
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