Regional disparity found in roads spend allocation

Roads investment in the Border-Midlands-Western (BMW) region remains seriously behind projections under the National Development Plan, according to the latest update.

According to a progress report, only 74 per cent of the expenditure assigned for new roads in the BMW region had been spent between 2000 and the end of 2005. However, over the same period, the report found that spending on road projects in counties in the south and east was significantly over budget at 120 per cent.

The Economic and Social Infrastructure Operational Programme Progress Report found that €1.565 billion had been spent in the BMW region over that period, compared with a forecast of a €2.114 billion investment.

In the south and east regions, more than €5.024 billion has been spent on national roads in the five years to 2005, just under a billion more than the €4.177 billion forecast. This is the latest in a series of reports highlighting regional spending disparities under the plan. An independent review of the NDP - prepared by Indecon economic consultants - and published at the end of 2005, also found a sharp differential between the two regions.

"We believe that a greater emphasis should be placed on achieving better regional balance in future programmes to address regional disparities," the consultants said. They also said it was crucial that any successor to the NDP be integrated with the National Spatial Strategy. Discussions are currently underway on the next National Development Programme from 2007-2013.

The BMW region includes counties Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway and Clare. Deficiencies in meeting the planned road infrastructure spending for these counties were also highlighted in 2003.

Fine Gael Transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said "unless you have some attempt at balanced regional development, the problems of congestion along the east coast are going to get worse. The only way you can deal with that is to try and create a counter-balance to the eastern region. Unless you put the infrastructure into the regions you are only going to reinforce the current imbalances."

She added that the Government only "paid lip service to the National Spatial Strategy" and did not reflect the strategy's objectives in their decisions.

With just one year of the NDP remaining, Indecon says that 47 major national road projects have been completed, resulting in 344.8kms of new roads, over 94km of which was motorway standard. More than two thirds of the work on the main inter-urban routes from Dublin are also now complete.

This year 13 national road projects totalling 83km are due to be completed with construction of a further 14 high quality national road projects totalling 310km scheduled to start.