Expenditure on the economic and social infrastructure in the Border Midland and Western (BMW) region was 13 per cent ahead of profile in the six years to the end of last year, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen said.
"In cash terms, that is an excess of €500 million." Exchequer spending on the employment and human resources programme, which at €3.7 billion was the second largest, was 96 per cent of the profiled amount for the six years.
Taken together, he added, the two programmes were well ahead of profile. "That said, there are issues with implementation rates in both the BMW region and the southeast region as compared to the profile in some aspects of the overall picture. The reasons for this are common to both regions."
The Minister was replying to Dr Jerry Cowley (Independent, Mayo) who said that he had met IDA Ireland representatives in Castlebar to ask why the authority did so badly in attracting industry to the west.
"I was informed that the simple reason is that the infrastructure in inadequate. The lack of proper roads, rail, broadband and power mean it is not a competitive area for enterprise."
Dr Cowley said that anyone who knew Ireland well would be aware that the State differed remarkably from east to west.
"All one needs to do is cross the Shannon to see the difference in roads. The road from Castlebar to Belmullet is an absolute disgrace. It is little more than a dirt track, a glorified bog track. It is a dangerous road and is full of bad turns and is extremely narrow in parts."
Mr Cowen said that up to December of last year, €1.5 billion was invested in the region in national roads. Large investment had also taken place nationally in public transport, with the region receiving €283 million in resignalling and trackwork projects.
By the end of next year, the Ballina and Westport lines would be resignalled, which meant that all rail lines had been completed.
Iarnród Éireann took delivery of 36 new diesel railcars and most had been allocated to the Dublin-Sligo route, he added.
