Secondary Activities in The Greater Dublin Area (GDA)

A core socio-economic region in Ireland

Counties:DublinMeath Kildare Wicklow

Secondary Activities in the GDA

The GDA has many physical and human advantages for the location of industry. Many of these advantages are concentrated in Dublin city. Can you think of any?

Physical Human

Physical advantages for the location of industry

1. Accessibility: It is on the east coast of Ireland close to the UK and the rest of Europe.

Physical advantages for the location of industry

2. Port Function: Dublin Bay is a naturally sheltered harbour and has been a port location since Viking times. Dublin Port is the country’s main port.

Physical advantages for the location of industry

3. Availability of Raw Materials: The hinterland of Dublin is fertile farmland, which provides a variety of raw materials for the food processing industries in the region.

Human advantages for the location of industry

1. Well developed transport network: The GDA region has a well developed transport system which connects it to all parts of Ireland. Ireland’s main seaport and international airport are both in Dublin and these provide a gateway to Europe for manufacturers who need to import and export raw materials and finished products. E.g. the silicon disks used by Intel in Leixlip are flown into Dublin for processing here.

Human advantages for the location of industry

2. High population density: The GDA has a high population density and a young population (43% are under 25 years of age), which provides a labour force and market.

Human advantages for the location of industry

3. Educated workforce: The GDA is a nationally important education centre. It has several universities and colleges of technology (TCD, DIT) and these provide an educated workforce for knowledge based industries such as computer manufacturing and software development, both of which require highly skilled graduate employees.

Human advantages for the location of industry

4. Wealth in the GDA: People are generally wealthier in the GDA than elsewhere in Ireland, making the region attractive to producers of high-value luxury goods.

Manufacturing in the GDA region

• As in all core economic regions, the range of manufacturing in the GDA is wider than n peripheral regions, e.g. brewing, food processing, printing, clothing and electronics.

• The GDA is the location of many world-renowned knowledge-based MNCs such as Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Intel.

Manufacturing in the GDA Region:

• Food processing is important in the GDA, e.g. Cadburys and Jacobs Fruitfield are located in Tallaght.

Manufacturing in the GDA Region:

• The Irish printing and publishing industry is based in Dublin. The Independent Newspapers site at City West is a state of the art plant.

Manufacturing in the GDA Region:

• Unlike the BMW region where manufacturing is concentrated in a few urban centres, in the GDA it is widely dispersed.– Intel is located in Leixlip, Co. Kildare.– Oriflame is located in Bray, Co. Wicklow.

Focus on the Food Processing Industry in the GDA

• Physical and Human factors have encouraged the development of the food processing industry in the GDA.

Physical factors influencing development of food processing industry in GDA region

1. ClimateThe region has a drier and warmer variation of the cool temperate oceanic climate, has very few frosty days and average rainfall is 545mm. Temperatures are high enough to support year-round growth of grass and its not too wet to prevent wheat crop production.

Physical factors influencing development of food processing industry in GDA region

2. Soils:The region has a variety of fertile soils such as brown earths, loam and sandy soils. These soils allow a variety of crops to be grown across the region. These provide raw materials for factories such as Green Isle and Brennan’s Bread companies.

Physical factors influencing development of food processing industry in GDA region

3. ReliefThe GDA has low-lying gently rolling land in Counties Kildare, Meath and north Dublin. This enables the use of machinery. Farms in these areas are some of the largest and most capital intensive in the country.

Human factors influencing development of food processing industry in GDA region

1. Government Policy: Food Harvest 2020 is a new government programme aimed at increasing Irish food production exports to €12 billion by 2020. As part of the programme, farmers and processors are encouraged to use new technology, develop new products and find new food markets.

Human factors influencing development of food processing industry in GDA region

2. Market: The GDA has a population of over 1.6 million and is a wealthy core region in Ireland. It provides a market for producers who locate their factories in the region to reduce transport costs.

Human factors influencing development of food processing industry in GDA region

3. Labour force: The same population that provides the market also provides an educated workforce for companies looking for skilled and unskilled labour.

Human factors influencing development of food processing industry in GDA region

4. Transport Infrastructure: The GDA has a well developed transport system including Dublin Airport Dublin Port, motorways (M50, M1, M7) and railways. The variety and efficiency of the transport network reduces travel costs and fuel consumption for producers.

Case Study: Largo Foods, Ashbourne, Co. Meath

Background• Irish company established 1983.• Leading manufacturer and distributor of snack foods in

Ireland.• Brands produced: Tayto, King, Hunky Dory, Perri and Sam

Spudz.• Production facilities: Ashbourne, Co. Meath and Gweedore in

Co. Donegal.• Employs 360 people in Ashbourne plant.• Company turnover 2010: €95 million.• Produces about 15,000 tons of snack food products each year.

Case Study: Largo Foods, Ashbourne, Co. Meath

Distribution• Largo distributes its products to mainland

Europe.• Transportation methods: intercontinental

shipping and road haulage.

Case Study: Largo Foods, Ashbourne, Co. Meath

Location• Ashbourne is located 20 km north of Dublin on the N2

routeway. • Company founder, Raymond Coyle, was a local potato

grower in Meath who supplied manufacturers of food brands, e.g. Tayto, King Crisps, Sam Spudz.

• Coyle gradually expanded his business and now his company, Largo Food, owns the brands he once supplied.

• Coyle located his food processing business in his native area.

Case Study: Largo Foods, Ashbourne, Co. Meath

Raw Materials and Transport• Most raw materials arrive at the plant by lorry from

Dublin Port.• The main raw materials – potatoes – are supplied by

Irish farmers in Meath, Dublin, Louth and Wexford. • The products are cooked in sunflower oil produced

from seeds grown in southern Europe (Italy, Spain, Hungary) which are then refined in the Netherlands. The sunflower oil is transported in lorry tankers by ship from Rotterdam.

Case Study: Largo Foods, Ashbourne, Co. Meath

Raw Materials and Transport continued:• Other ingredients include maize grown in

Argentina, rice from southern Europe and corn from Argentina and America.

Case Study: Largo Foods, Ashbourne, Co. Meath

Markets• Largo foods supplies snack foods to the Irish

and UK markets.• 20% of its business market is UK based.• The products are shipped from Dublin Port to

Holyhead.

Case Study: Largo Foods, Ashbourne, Co. Meath

Production and Packaging• Production process: highly automated with modern

robotic machines cooking and packaging the snack foods.• Packaging, manufacturing and food ingredients are

important costs: 70% of crisp packet material is produced in 3 plants in north Italy and the rest is made in Ireland. Cardboard boxes used to transport the finished products are made in Ireland.

Exam QuestionPLANNING ESSENTIAL before writing answer

Higher Level 2013 Q4 B

Examine the factors that influence the development of secondary economic activity in an Irish region that you have studied. (30 marks)

Ordinary Level 2011 Q5 B

Explain how any two of the following influence the development of manufacturing industry in an Irish region you have studied:• Transport• Raw materials• Markets• Government and EU PolicyClearly state the name of the region in your answer. (30 marks)

Planning – HL 2013 Q4 B

• Answer should be 15 SRPs required. Approx 1 refill pad page.• Could focus on food processing industry while referring to

case study of Largo Foods.• Factors = things that contributed to the successful

development of manufacturing or the things that have hindered the development of manufacturing in the region.

• Discuss physical factors and human factors (see pg 342 – 344).• Structure:

1. Opening paragraph2. Paragraph on Physical factors3. Paragraph on Human factors4. Closing paragraph

Planning – OL 2011 Q5 B

• 12 SRPs required. Approx ¾ refill pad page.• Structure:

1. Opening par – introduce the GDA region2. Transport- explain how the good transport system in GDA

helps the manufacturing industry, give example of Largo Foods

3. Raw Materials – using Largo foods as example, explain factory location in relation to raw materials (potatoes grown in surrounding areas, other raw materials imported and arrive by lorry from Dublin port).

4. Closing paragraph – close by explaining how GDA is suitable for manufacturing industry.