New research identifies the northern region is, in terms of infrastructure and investment, as lacking as the poorest areas in Europe. And a report by the Northern and Western Regional Assembly claims the north and west are being held back by the lack of government and EU infrastructure spend.
The NWRA is one of three regional assemblies in Ireland and represents counties Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo, and Galway. Research shows the region ranks 218th out of 234 others in terms of transport infrastructure with its Regional Competitiveness Index score like those of 'less developed' regions in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia. The latest research shows investment in transport, health, education, housing and energy is way behind other areas of the country and the continent.
Now the NWRA wants the government to adopt a policy of "positive discrimination" to deliver regional equality and to fast-track the delivery of 13 major infrastructure projects including the T-Ten road project and the Western Rail Corridor. Its Economist, John Daly, says the North and West need to have their own decision-making powers: "Greater levels of regional autonomy tend to be associated with lower levels of economic inequality because, ultimately policy-makers are more closer to the ground and they have, I suppose, a greater ability to act on the challenges they'd be more acutely aware of and develop policies that can overcome those challenges."
