Cork:The recognition of the importance of Cork and its potential for development as a gateway city in the National Development Plan (NDP) received a warm welcome yesterday from business interests in the south.
Cork Chamber of Commerce chief executive Conor Healy said the plan clearly recognised the importance of investing in gateway cities such as Cork in order to provide a counterbalance to Dublin and the east coast.
"We would be of the view that Cork, as the largest gateway city, has tremendous potential which requires the level of investment being proposed in the plan, though of course the plan is only a framework and the real challenge is to see that it is fully implemented," he said.
Mr Healy particularly welcomed the commitment to developing transport infrastructure such as the completion of the N8 to Dublin to motorway standard by 2010 and improvements to the rail and road network in the greater Cork area. Barry Roche
Galway
A €100 million plan to redevelop Galway's harbour as a deep sea port has not been abandoned by the Government in the new National Development Plan, according to Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Eamon Ó Cuív.
Concern was expressed last night that the proposed port initiative, as presented by a group of business and tourism interests to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last year, had been omitted from the NDP.
Galway Chamber of Commerce chief executive Michael Coyle said that this and other aspects of the plan - including the lack of specific reference to a Galway city outer bypass road route - were short on detail and required clarification.
However, Mr Ó Cuív told The Irish Times that the NDP's reference to regenerating the docks area of Galway city represented support for the port relocation initiative.
Council for the West chairman Seán Hannick said that the lack of detail in the plan was disappointing, particularly in relation to regional development commitments.- Lorna Siggins
Waterford
The National Development Plan's commitments to investing in transport and technological advances in the southeast over the next six years was welcomed yesterday by educational and business figures in Waterford.
Waterford Institute of Technology director Prof Kieran R Byrne welcomed the renewed focus on third and fourth-level education and in particular, the commitment to boost the institute's research development and innovation capacity.
"Underpinning the National Spatial Strategy's goal of strengthening the regions, the National Development Plan offers tremendous opportunities for Waterford and the southeast," he said. - Barry Roche
Midlands
The National Development Plan created a "bold vision for the midlands" which "recognised the importance of intellectual capital" in achieving its aims, Athlone Institute of Technology director Prof Ciarán Ó Cathain said.
"By committing €6 billion to science, technology and innovation,€13 billion to higher education and €2.8 billion to training and skills development programmes, the plan is giving expression to the concept of life-long learning and to improving the links between higher education and industry," he said. - Lorna Siggins
Limerick
The NDP puts rural development at the core of its seven-year mission, claimed Limerick Fianna Fáil TD John Cregan. "The specific reference to rural development in the NDP 2007-2013 should be seen as a serious statement of intent by the Government that investment in services in rural areas will be significantly stepped up over the coming years," Mr Cregan said.
"The challenge for west Limerick is to generate a level of economic activity which will support more job creation and inward investment," he added. Improvements in Dublin-Limerick rail services are also planned. - Kathryn Hayes