A Western alliance of business interests may run independent candidates in several constituencies in the next general election unless the Government revises its priorities under the National Development Plan.
The United Chambers of Commerce - a lobby group representing chambers in the west, north-west and north-east - the Western Roads Action Committee and the Mayo Industries Group agreed to seek sanction for the move at a meeting in Ballina, Co Mayo, this week.
Representatives at the meeting expressed frustration and anger at what was seen as low priority given by the Government to improved infrastructure in the western region. The Taoiseach is due to meet the Western Development Commission next week, six months after its highly critical report on the growing divide between east and west.
The United Chambers lobby group, which was initiated by Sligo Chamber of Commerce 18 months ago, proposes to run "high profile" candidates in up to six constituencies - five in the west and one in Donegal - if the move is sanctioned by member organisations.
Several business interests at the Ballina meeting stressed that no final decision had been taken, and this would be considered at the next meeting next month.
Sligo-Leitrim already has one declared independent candidate closely associated with the regional development issue - the former Council for the West chairwoman, Ms Marian Harkin. There is no guarantee that the umbrella group will swing behind Ms Harkin in her area if the strategy is agreed to.
Ms Harkin was favoured to take a Dáil seat from Fianna Fáil, according to a recent TG4/MRBI poll.
The development comes at a time when the Council for the West has stepped up its own campaign for improvements by establishing an umbrella body, the West Infrastructure Now (WIN) campaign. The United Chambers of Commerce delegates have given this initiative a positive response, and will seek endorsement through their respective organisations.
Last week, the United Chambers issued what it described as a "scathing" attack on the Government over a perceived lack of urgency on the issue. Last July, the group presented a report to the Government's Cross-Departmental Team on Infrastructure, highlighting infrastructural improvements "essential to the survival of the socioeconomic fabric of the region".
The group's spokesman, Mr Marc MacSharry, chief executive of Sligo Chamber of Commerce, says it waited 11 weeks for a reply and the response failed to address any of the recommendations. "Instead, the Government staunchly defended the National Development Plan which allocates €449,487 (£354,000) per sq km to the South and East region and a mere €184,112 (£145,000) per sq km in the Border, Midlands and Western region, but portrays "balanced regional development" as one of its key objectives, he says.
The group wrote 10 weeks ago to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste asking for a detailed response to its report. "It is certain that the Government has ignored the recommendations put forward within our report just as it has done with the Western Development Commission report, The State of the West," Mr MacSharry said.
The group said "vague positive statements" had been issued on the extension of broadband through the Atlantic Corridor, and provision of gas, but no time-frame in relation to gas has been given.
