There was a broad welcome in the north-west for the objectives outlined in the plan, particularly the emphasis on balanced regional development and on the need to develop the Border, midland and western region as a counterbalance to the more prosperous south and east.
However, a number of organisations and lobby groups said they would need to study the finer details of the plan before being able to say if it went far enough.
The chairman of the Border, Midland and Western Regional Assembly, Mr Tony Ferguson, said he welcomed the fact that per capita spending in the region was significantly higher than in the south and east. "This is the first time this has happened and it is a very welcome development," he said. "A lot of what we have been seeking is there, but there are still some things we have to fight for."
He said he would like to see greater emphasis on improving the road link between Sligo and Dundalk to open up Border areas, and to see the importance of the N16 between Sligo and Enniskillen recognised by the National Roads Authority because it was a vital link to the port of Larne.
While there was a general concern that labour shortages could prevent some of the major infrastructure projects from being completed on time, Mr Ferguson said he did not believe this would be much of an issue in a region where unemployment was still a problem and contractors were not as busy as in the east.
The north-west regional director of IBEC, Mr Brendan McGinty, described the plan as "ambitious and comprehensive" and said the commitment to improve roads was particularly important to the region.
He said that while IBEC would have to study the details, he was pleased that all the major routes to the north-west were mentioned for improvement. In Co Donegal, the fact that the N56, which links Letterkenny, Dungloe and Donegal town, was earmarked for upgrading was important. Mr McGinty said he welcomed the target of 50 per cent of all new greenfield IDA jobs going to the region.
"Delivery is the key and one of the things we will be examining closely is the detail behind the key principles to see how closely they mirror the recommendations of such reports as the Donegal Employment Initiative Task Force and the Leitrim Task Force," he said.