We've already made the point that the CDB has invested heavily in analysing Wexford. Analysis for its own sake is all very well ... but in line with our Making a Difference principle outlined in Section 3 the CDB's analyses were carried out for a purpose. The whole point was to help establish where we are and to provide some pointers as to where we need to go to. In this context of course "we" is the County of Wexford.

One proven way of drawing all the analytical work together in a focused way is the SWOT analysis. This simple but effective technique makes us identify our Strengths and Weaknesses as a County and the Opportunities and Threats that face us. Within the CDB we have deliberately taken the approach that Strengths and Weaknesses are things over which we have some control. Opportunities and Threats meanwhile are things which are not in our gift to change but to which we must respond. At the same time we have built into our SWOT analysis only what we can back up with evidence.

The SWOT analysis that has emerged for Wexford is as follows:
STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES
  • The CDB itself and its processes
  • dependence on (a declining) agriculture
  • physical settings and quality of life offered
  • reliance on (declining) "old economy" industries
  • large and demographically "healthy" population
  • low industrial productivity and value added
  • connections with Dublin
  • high unemployment
  • information and communications infrastructure
  • more people leaving Wexford than coming to it ... a culture of "going away"
  • Rosslare Europort
  • low incomes
  • rural/urban balances
  • high benefits dependency
  • breadth and depth of community infrastructure
  • low tourism performance
  • arts and culture infrastructure
  • early school leaving and low educational attainment
 
  • low Third Level education presence and uptake
 
  • declining levels of civic engagement
 
  • level and distribution of social/recreational/leisure facilities
 
  • restricted access to services by rural communities
   
OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
  • effective partnership working
  • global economic patterns and trends
  • marrying physical/natural assets with tourism needs
  • individual/community disenchantment/disengagement
  • EU agricultural reforms and rural development support
  • lack of government/EU focus on Wexford and South East
  • County's location and climate
  • increasing dominance of Dublin region in Ireland
  • National Development Plan
  • environmental damage/deterioration
  • capitalise on nation expertise/competence in ICT and other "new economy" sectors
 
  • develop a South East Regional focus in certain areas
ULTIMATELY AS A COUNTY WE MUST:

  • build on our Strengths
  • address our Weaknesses
  • be prepared to seize Opportunities
  • be able to defend ourselves against Threats.
In the following Sections, 7, 8 and 9, we show how we propose to do so.
Wexford Fact:
18% of those in work are involved in farming, a rate seven percentage points above the national average.

       
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