North Meath most deprived area of county

Kells and north Meath are the most deprived areas of the county with more than 28 per cent unemployment in Kells town.

The latest national ‘deprivation index,’ commissioned by the independent agency Pobal, shows Kells Municipal District which includes, Kells, Oldcastle, and Athboy to be the most deprived area in the county, at minus 11 below the average in the county’s six districts.
Figures from the report for Kells town include 28.6 per cent male unemployment and 29.1 per cent female unemployment.
Some 19 per cent of residents have primary education only, with only 20 per cent with a third level education and a lone parent ratio of 31 per cent.
Cllr Sean Drew said; “These figures are a disgraceful indictment of the government and in particular the three Fine Gael government ministers in the county. “It is apparent that the people of Kells and North Meath have been marginalised and the area is in urgent need of major investment in infrastructure and jobs.
“These problems are not new and in fact Kells and North Meath has been designated as officially disadvantaged and eligible for EU Regional Aid since 2014. “However it is necessary to ask, what efforts have these three ministers made since 2014 to introduce incentives and grants to encourage employers to locate and establish new businesses in our area?
“Where are the IDA visits to North Meath? Why does Meath continue to lag behind in the level of government direct funding relative to other local authorities?”
He said it was time for Ministers English, McEntee and Doherty to start representing and delivering for Kells and North Meath, officially the most deprived area in our county.
The national deprivation index, draws on 2016’s census data and provides a method of measuring the relative affluence or disadvantage of a particular geographical area using data compiled from various censuses.