Sir, – As Harry McGee outlined in his analysis ("Plan seeks to exploit shift in workplace habits", March 30th) of the new Balanced Regional Development Strategy (BRDS), "Our Rural Future", targets and costings are not evident throughout the document. Therefore, in the few places where they are in evidence, they stand out, and one such instance tells us that the IDA will target half of its investments in regional locations over the period of the plan. I interpret "regional locations" to mean everywhere outside of Dublin, which is home to approximately 75 per cent of the country's population. And so, I'm finding it difficult to understand how such a commitment in respect of IDA investment is supposed to represent a tilt in the right direction in terms of response to the country's BRDS requirements.
Notwithstanding that a large proportion of the plan is merely an amalgamation of schemes and initiatives which are already established, there are some new and imaginative concepts – for this reason the plan is welcome. However, it is little more than a well-presented collection of mini-visions (rather than visionary) which will mean little in reality until some flesh is put on its bones in terms of cost plans, programmes, context and clear demonstration that the end result will be a country of substance of which Dublin is the capital and largest city, rather than a continuation of the present situation which very much supports the concept of Dublin and the rest – frequently to the detriment of Dublin itself by virtue of its incapacity to cope with the concentration of demands on it.
If the afore-mentioned IDA target to facilitate 75 per cent of the population with 50 per cent of its investment is an indication of the flesh that is to be put on the other bones of “Our Rural Future”, I fear for the prospect of delivering on the objectives of the plan. I very much hope that my fear will be shown to be misplaced. – Yours, etc,
TOM TIERNAN,
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Ennis, Co Clare.