The Western Development Commission (WDC) has warned that the "competitive nature" of the new National Development Plan's €300 million "gateway innovation fund" would result in the east and south absorbing most of the funding.
The fund has been established as part of the National Development Plan's (NDP) stated emphasis on balanced regional development. It aims to foster innovation in the nine "gateway" centres of Dublin, Waterford, Limerick/Shannon, Galway, Sligo, Letterkenny/Derry, Dundalk, Cork and Athlone/Tullamore and Mullingar.
Figures obtained by the Council for the West to the end of June 2006 have already shown a shortfall of €3.75 billion on promised expenditure in the last NDP in the Border, midlands and western (BMW) region. The full figure to the end of December still has to emerge, according to the council's chairman Seán Hannick.
"The Government overspent in the south and east, so this is something we will be watching closely," said Mr Hannick. "There has been a lot of talk about balanced regional development in leaks about the NDP earlier this week, but we have yet to see a commitment to redress the imbalance."
The WDC has reiterated its call for "fast-tracking" of infrastructural investment in the west, pointing out that the Atlantic road corridor linking Letterkenny in Donegal, Sligo and Galway to the southeast would not be a priority until after radial motorways from Dublin were completed in 2010.
Rural areas also needed to develop in their own right, and "not just act as supports to the growth centres", said Gillian Buckley, the WDC chief executive.
She welcomed the proposed framework for all-island co-operation which would benefit the economy of the Border region and beyond.
Meanwhile, Athlone Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the NDP focus on gateways and the establishment of the gateway co-ordination unit. This is "crucial" to the three midland towns working together, said Siobhán Bigley, Athlone Chamber of Commerce chief executive.
The Athlone chamber has suggested formation of strategic alliances between gateways such as the midlands and Limerick/Shannon and Sligo.
Ms Bigley also noted that there was no specific mention of rail in the investment priorities between Athlone and Mullingar in the plan.
"We believe this to be as important in the national context for the west as it is for the midlands, linking both the west and the midlands to Rosslare and Spencer Docks," said Ms Bigley.
