Ireland’s economy is increasingly being sucked into Dublin at the expense of other regions, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has warned. The ESRI’s research, which provides projections for regions and counties across Ireland up to the year 2040, said the lack of second-tier cities in Ireland was reinforcing Dublin’s dominance. While the scaling up second-tier cities would provide a greater range of functions in surrounding areas, this could only be achieved by developing the necessary infrastructure within these areas. “The lack of scale of the second-tier cities in Ireland reinforces the dominance of Dublin and limits the development potential of the other regions. Investing in second-tier cities is essential to ensure sustainable economic growth outside of Dublin,” he said.

Source: The Irish Times January 24, 2018 04:52 UTC