Longford and Roscommon feel they are forgotten

When you drive to Longford and Roscommon from the east coast the meaning of "regional imbalance" is glaringly obvious once you get beyond the Mullingar bypass.

The last "decent" stretch of road behind you, the narrow, winding country roads are the gateway to the north-west. There are no motorways here, there are not even plans to put a motorway here. The nearest "key strategic corridors" identified by the National Development Plan are the routes from Dublin to Galway and Belfast.

In between those two roads lies the major landmass of the Border, Midlands and Western Region. It has also traditionally been home to the State's worst railway lines, poorest telecommunications and smallest level of foreign direct investment (FDI).

The region does have Knock Airport, but when you are stuck behind a tractor on those small roads the poor level of outside investment seems justified. Even the prospects of a glass of clean water are in doubt.

At their meeting in Roscommon town, delegates to last week's BMW Regional Assembly opened proceedings with a bitter attack on the state of the roads.

Mr Matt Loughnane (Galway County Council) recounted how contact was made with a US-based industrialist who wanted to relocate to the region. Contact was made with the IDA but that was four years ago. They recently found out that the industrialist had been "lured" to Kerry.

"We wouldn't be in the state we are in today both in terms of regional imbalance and in terms of gross domestic income if the IDA did their job," complained Mr Loughnane.

Mr Gerry Finn, the director of the BMW authority, responded that it was Government policy to direct more than 50 per cent of all new FDI to the region.

Mr Michael Leahy, of Galway County Council, said it was plain that the roads, rail and e-commerce facilities were "very seriously deficient".

The region still offered a good quality of life and people would return even if it meant a salary cut, Mr Leahy said. He warned the assembly, however, that the current spending plan was a "once-in-a-lifetime chance to address the regional imbalance".