Donegal County Council has agreed to form a Sister County Agreement with Plymouth County in Massachusetts, USA.
The programme, approved by county councillors today, is set to be a mutually beneficial arrangement between counties.
Plymouth County is the third-largest county in Massachusetts with a population of over 530,000 people.
Last summer, Donegal County Council received a request from the Department of Foreign Affairs to explore an opportunity to engage with Plymouth County. A Sister County Agreement is the coming together of two regions seeking to strengthen or develop common interests such as economic development, arts and culture, tourism sports and community. There may also be opportunities to work on problems or develop innovative solutions with partners around key challenges such as capital build developments, innovation, climate change and the blue economy.
Donegal County Council’s Economic Development Unit engaged with Plymouth County to identify areas of common interest, which include exploring the development of infrastructural incubator sites for the free exchange of ideas which can help increase start-up rates and encourage indigenous businesses from both Council areas to scale.
Other areas of collaboration will be in the areas of economic development such as the transfer of knowledge and best practice in the areas of tourism and agriculture.
Following agreement from county councillors today, Donegal County Council is set to make formal communications with Plymouth County to prepare a Sister County Agreement document. The Sister County Agreement will be time bound with a review process undertaken every two years
Councillor Ciaran Brogan, who met with Plymouth county officials last year, has welcomed the move as a positive development.
