Towns like Rathdowney have paid a heavy price for greed

Tús maith, leath na hOibre - a good start is half the work is what Laois County Council will be hoping after being centrally involved in commissioning a blueprint to revitalise Rathdowney.

However, Ireland is littered with unimplemented reports that cost a lot of money. If actioned, many would have changed lives, mostly for the better.

The State set aside €100,000 to draw up a masterplan for the south Laois town. The same sum went 25 other plans around Ireland. Laois and other councils were already helping towns and communities but the money for the Rathdowney plan is different because it was spent under the new Town Centre First Government strategy. I t aims to inject new life into rural towns.

So nearly a year and half later KPMG consultants have produced an almost 200-page draft masterplan for Rathdowney.
Anybody who knows Rathdowney would say that it has loads of potential but has been left behind by booms, recessions and greed.

Unfortunately, there are lots more like it around Ireland.

The report reveals the cost of ignoring towns like Rathdowney in favour of developer-led policies.

Vacancy on Main Street is described as a “ major negative”.

It is nothing short of remarkable and disgraceful that an Irish town centre has seven buildings in a row that are empty.

It was the housing crisis that has focused Government's attention on this type of situation.

Half of commercial buildings on Laois main street empty with seven in a row vacant finds blueprint for future

An extreme housing shortage n has forced Dublin to look to the 'country' for short and long term solutions.

But is it too late?

How much effort and money is it going to cost to revitalise the Main Street in Rathdowney?

How does the State convince people to live in its centre?

How does it hope to attract businesses to set up shop in the heart of this Laois town?

Decades of bad policies driven by profit have led to Rathdowney's woes and a huge effort is needed to reverse massive mistakes.