A target to provide over 23,000 new jobs, both direct and by spin-off, in the Mid-West region before the end of the century has been set by Shannon Development.

Mr Paul Sheane, chief executive of the company, said in the agency's end-of-year report, that this would be 30 per cent greater than the 17,700 increase achieved in the five years prior to 1995.

This, he said, will contribute to reducing the unemployment level to 10 per cent, or a four per cent reduction on the 1995 figure, and would put the region "well on track to achieving six per cent unemployment, or effective full employment level by the year 2010".

To prepare the area for this accelerated development, Mr Sheane said that the company will give priority to creating an environment favourable for economic development. "We will actively build on our enterprising track record to generate initiatives, projects and partnerships which will meet the pressing challenges facing the region". He said the key ingredients to developing she region are access to "skilled people, communications, infrastructure and networks".