The Western Development Commission has risked Government disfavour by bluntly stating that its economic strategy is inadequate. Poor roads and a weak power and telecommunications infrastructure are, it says, preventing the West from competing with the more developed East and the South. The area is falling further behind as the so-called Celtic Tiger begins to lose traction. Rapid remedial action and accelerated investment are called for, along with a coordinated approach from Government agencies, if large parts of the western region are to be rescued from relative poverty and under-development. As things stand, the growth hubs of Galway and Shannon/Clare are attracting more than 90 per cent of all new State-assisted jobs, leaving Donegal, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim practically untouched.
A need to accord special treatment to peripheral, underdeveloped regions was recognised in the Government's National Development Plan 2000-2006 and was emphasised by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, when the document was launched two years ago. In spite of that, the report by the Commission warns that unless the Government acts immediately to improve poor roads, electricity and telecommunication services in the West then an unbridgeable technical and communications gap will emerge. Specifically, it states: access to and within the region is slow, due to poor road and rail systems; the ageing electricity transmission network cannot provide enough power to new high-energy industries and the telecommunications infrastructure is patchy, costly and beset by difficulties.
The basic premise of the report is that Government investment in infrastructure must be used to drive development. In that regard, it warns about the negative effect the privatisation of key State services could have on the region. Already, the provision of telecommunications services has been adversely affected by privatisation. Services such as gas and electricity may follow suit. The chief executive of the Western Development Commission, Mr Liam Scollan, notes that the drive for profit in a privatised market is essentially at odds with the goal of dispersed development. He advocates specific Government planning, through two separate Departmental groups, to agree developments on transport and power/telecommunication by next February.
The most urgent need is in relation to roads. Anyone who has travelled the N5 from Dublin to Castlebar will be aware of the sudden deterioration of this main artery once the Shannon has been crossed. Without an adequate road and rail structure the West will not become an attractive location for foreign investment or for local enterprise. Road building plans by the National Roads Authority are based on existing patterns of use and fail to accord priority to key corridors. At the same time, the quality of electricity and telecommunications over large parts of the region is an on-going scandal. This is a thoughtful contribution to economic and social debate.