Fine Gael's plans to develop eight new cities when the party is next in government have angered the business community of Carlow.
While Kilkenny, which locals point out is already a city, is one of the eight potential major growth centres identified by the party, Carlow did not make the list.
The eight centres selected by Fine Gael - Kilkenny, Letterkenny, Sligo, Castlebar, Athlone, Tralee, Portlaoise and Dundalk - were all identified in an ESRI report, "National Investment Priorities for the Period 2000-2006", as having major development potential.
Assurances given by the party leader, Mr John Bruton, during a visit to Carlow this month that his party supported the development of local infrastructure have not mollified local business leaders.
In a statement yesterday Carlow Chamber of Commerce claimed Fine Gael had abandoned the county. It pointed out that Carlow was one of 15 potential growth centres selected by the Irish Academy of Engineers in a report in May. Not only was Carlow identified as one of these centres, it was in the top five in each of the 15 "strict criteria" laid down by the academy.
It now appeared that Mr Bruton had nailed the Fine Gael colours to the ESRI mast and had swung his support behind centres other than Carlow which failed to meet all the criteria, the chamber said.
"In short, Fine Gael has now abandoned Carlow and appears willing to reduce it to dormer-town status for Dublin and to anonymous community status in relation to the development of Portlaoise and Kilkenny," the statement claimed.
Explaining his party's policy in Kilkenny earlier this year, Mr Bruton said a limited number of growth centres had to be identified "because we can't simply spread people out over vast areas of the countryside, ignoring the implications that that has for traffic and for accessibility". The chamber, however, claims the town has a more compelling case than some of those on Fine Gael's list. "Carlow is situated on a major route under the terms of the National Development Plan, it has two third-level colleges . . . the finest secondary and primary schools in the country, an excellent retail and commercial sector, not to mention a progressive industrial sector, and some of the finest sporting facilities in the country."
Mr Bruton said he was surprised and disappointed at the chamber's negative comments. During his visit to Carlow he had outlined proposals for the development of the town, including the development of the rail service, the provision of broadband telecommunications infrastructrue and support for the two third-level institutes.