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Power and Energy Infrastructure
Telecommunications Infrastructure
With a fragmented settlement pattern, low population densities, poor public transport and a high dependence of car usage, the road network represents the principal means of access and transport in the region. For the most part the West Cork, Lee and Owenabue Valley are linked by an extensive network of roads of variable quality. The principal routes and development corridors include the only national primary route in the region, the N22 Cork-Macroom-Killarney road. This route serves 30km of the northern periphery of the region and is viewed as of strategic economic importance given that it will form part of the national strategic road corridor from Rosslare to Tralee. Plans for the continuing upgrade of the route including the development of by-passes at Macroom and Ballincollig will potentially leverage significant residential and commercial development.
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Car ownership in the region is
categorised according to the number of households with 0,1,2,3 or more cars.
Percentages in all categories exceed national averages. In contrast the
percentage of households with no car is over 10% lower than the national
average, reflecting a comparatively high level of mobility in the defined
territory. Source Gamma (1998). The
high level of car dependence is more marked in western areas where public
transport infrastructure is poorly developed.
As there is no rail network within the region, public transport is
confined to scheduled Bus Eireann services. The nearest railhead for passenger
and freight services is located in Cork City. 
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south and western areas of the region are served by the 128 km N71 National
Secondary Route which links a number of the principal towns in the region
(Bandon-Clonakilty –Skibbereen- Bantry).
While improvements have taken place in recent years these have generally
been brought about by the increased volume of road traffic arising from
significant growth in commuting families in areas proximate to Cork city.
Road improvements planned along the N71 at Bandon and Skibbereen will
enhance access to Cork City and will also release additional land for
development. The strategic value of
the Castletownbere - Glengarriff link route to the local fishing, mariculture
and tourism industries have also been recognised through substantial recent
improvements. All in all
however, the overall poor standard of the system is seen as a considerable
handicap to the economic development of the region.
The problem is particularly marked with regard to the development of
non-coastal areas of the region, which are serviced by a network of local roads.
The town of Dunmanway, which serves a large rural hinterland and which is
located midway between Bandon and Bantry on the R586, has suffered notably in
investment and development terms in contrast with all other towns in the region,
due to deficient access and infrastructure.
Port Infrastructure
Fitzpatrick & Associates reporting in their recent NUTS II development strategy for the combined regional Authorities identify a number of local port development priorities
"Support for the continued
development of Bantry Harbour, the Whiddy Island facility and the smaller ports
in West Cork because of the important role they play in the economic development
of local areas is proposed”
Cork Airport, Irelands third largest, is
located adjacent to the eastern most periphery of the defined territory.
Approximately 80% of the population of the West Cork, Lee and Owenabue
Valleys reside within a 90 minute commute from the airport.
The facility offers both scheduled and charter services for passenger and
freight and has seen an unprecedented increase in passenger demand over the last
decade to its current level in excess of 1.2m passengers annually.
Moreover its passenger throughput is forecast to grow at a faster rate
than Dublin Airport (6.5% p.a compared to 5.8% p.a.) until 2006. Source: DKM
(1998). It is critical in servicing
the economic needs of the region particularly in the growth of internationally
traded services and tourism. Currently 50% of passenger volume at the airport is
commuter traffic but development proposals are in place to enhance the terminal
infrastructure in order to attract transatlantic services from the USA.
The quality of the power supply is a major determinant in attracting new as well as retaining existing commercial development in the region. The principal towns and villages located on the N22/N71/R586/R600 routes are serviced by 38kv lines. Some rural areas in the region suffer from infrastructural deficiencies in capacity and quality of electricity networks, particularly with regard to 3-phase supply. Fragmented settlement patterns and low population densities also give rise to difficulties in meeting demand in rural areas at the extremities of the network. Over the medium term the region will require investment to renew ageing networks as well as to upgrade existing systems to achieve international standards of supply. This is of particular importance in ensuring strong economic growth, regional competitiveness and facilitating local industrial development. The extension to the natural gas pipeline currently in progress provides an alternative to electricity and will help meet the energy concerns of three of the regions most significant industrial concerns at Brinny, Dunderrow and Ballineen.
As a result of recent energy efficiency and alternative energy initiatives, an increasing proportion of the regions energy requirements are being generated from renewable sources. The ESB generate 27mw from two hydro facilities on the river Lee at Inniscarra and Carrigadrohid. Smaller private hydro initiatives in Adrigole, Bandon, Bantry and Glenlough generate an additional 1.6mw. The strong wind resources of the region are currently being tapped by windfarms at Drinagh and Drimoleague which provide 10.5 mw. Further installations are planned at sites near Bantry and Drimoleague.
The
region boasts a comparatively good telecommunications infrastructure, which is
seen as critical in ensuring regional competitiveness and as a means of access
to public services. The backbone
transmission network is 100% digital with Eircom currently operating a
Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) network in West Cork.
This allows effective broadband connectivity to Bandon, Kinsale,
Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Bantry. Planned upgrades will enhance its SDH network
to STM-16 which will quadruple network bandwidth, in effect extending the
bandwidth currently available in Cork City to West Cork.
While Eircom has a lot of optical fibre in the ground in the region the
local access network is more variable. However bandwidth restrictions should not
pose a problem provided there is investment in new technology at the SDH nodes
locally and nationally. The recent
development of the West Cork Technology Park is likely to stimulate additional
infrastructure investment on the part the new licensed providers in the region. The liberalisation of the telecommunications market will spur
the introduction of new service offerings, price cuts and will facilitate the
“unbundling of the local loop”. The
net effect of such changes will be faster, more efficient and cheaper
telecommunications access for the region. One
further salient feature of the local telecommunications infrastructure is the
spur off Cable and Wireless’s PTAT –1 transatlantic cable landing in
Ballinspittle. While this link is
currently routed directly to Cork, it will, as part of a planned upgrade be part
of the West Cork SDH ring.
The provision and maintenance of environmental services within the region is a critical factor in facilitating local development and economic growth as well as contributing to enhanced environmental quality. Water supplies, sewerage and wastewater treatment as well as waste recovery and recycling services form the core development priorities of the region. The Cork County Development plan (West Cork) 1996 states.
“In the past West Cork has found it difficult to secure adequate infrastructure funding, possibly because of the relatively dispersed population. This has resulted in an accumulation of infrastructure needs which are particularly alarming in the area of water supply. Summer water shortages are recurrent in many coastal areas.”
The sanitary needs of housing units in the region are serviced by public sewer with septic tanks predominating in rural areas. Drinking water is generally provided via public mains or private sources with a small number of group water schemes in existence. Development priorities identified by Cork County Council for improved sanitary services include Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Macroom, Crosshaven, Kinsale, Bantry and Dunmanway. Improvement works in these areas would impact positively on the development potential of outlying locations particularly in terms of enhancing tourism growth in remoter areas. Development has also been inhibited by sewerage/water treatment deficiencies in Bantry, Castletownbere, Skibbereen and Inniscarra. However planned and current works at Bantry, Clonakilty, Kinsale, Garrettstown and Inniscarra will result in substantial improvements.
Landfill remains the predominant waste disposal practice with sites at Raffeen, Benduff and Schull catering for the region. In recent years sites at Bandon, Macroom and Castletownbere have closed. Recovery of packaging waste, with the exception of glass, is poor. Basic glass recycling facilities exist in most towns and villages.