Regional authority centres are named

The State's two new super-regional authorities are to be established in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, and Waterford City, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, said yesterday. The Minister has not indicated when the assemblies are to be set up, or whether there will be direct elections to them.

The setting-up of the authorities is a result of the Government's decision to divide the State into two regions to maximise EU supports. The less developed Border Midlands and Western Region will continue to qualify for Objective 1 status - effectively the maximum EU grant aid in terms of structural and cohesion funding.

The Southern and Eastern Region will be classed as Objective 1 in Transition, with a reducing scale of grant aid over the next six years. The investment in both regions over the next six years is expected to be about £25 billion - a little more than £3.5 billion coming from the EU.

Announcing the locations of the assembly headquarters, the Minister said the new bodies would secure "more coherent development of policy and public services in their regions". It is envisaged that the new authorities will oversee the spending of National Development Plan money on roads, rail, air and sea access to the regions. Plans also include the extension of broadband communications, the expansion of the institutes of technology, the extension of the gas grid, and the development of tourism.

The development of infrastructure is aimed at attracting high-quality inward investment into the regions, which would spread the current economic boom outside Dublin.