A new campaign to attract people living in and around Dublin to relocate to the West has been launched.
The Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Mr Ó Cuív, today endorsed the campaign which will include billboard and radio adverts encouraging the public to "Look West".
The adverts proclaim that living in the seven western counties covered by the Western Development Commission (WDC) will lead to a better quality of life and cheaper housing.
"People who choose to relocate from the greater Dublin area can have a super quality of life, across the board, from being able to afford better housing, cheaper food and drink, having a sense of space, not spending what appears to be their entire lives in traffic and of course a much richer cultural life
"Relocating is a truly life changing decision and I am not expecting anyone to take it lightly but I do believe that those who do make the decision to move to the West will never regret it," Mr Ó Cuív said.
He referred to a survey carried out in the North West which showed 40 per cent of people who have already relocated found a job within 3 months and most others found employment within 9 months. Some 97 per cent of those surveyed said they would recommend relocation, he added.
Dr Pat O'Hara, WDC policy manager said those within the Greater Dublin commuter belt around the region can spend up to 20 hours a week travelling compared to just four hours in the West. House prices can be as much as 50 per cent cheaper, she added.
The WDC which is financing the campaign, is a statutory body tasked with promoting the economic development of counties Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon and Donegal.
Speaking at today's launch, Mr Ó Cuív also reiterated his commitment to the decentralisation of his Department to Knock Airport despite the plan to move 164 staff being listed only as "potential early movers" in the first phase announced last week.