Development plan ‘having little impact’

EMPLOYERS' body IBEC yesterday warned that current plans to develop the west of Ireland’s economy are having little effect.

It said the National Development Plan (NDP) and the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) have had little impact on the development of the region. It added there is little information on how they will be implemented.

“The NDP is struggling to deliver projects of critical importance either on schedule or within budget. It is evident at this point that a number of outstanding projects under the NDP 2000 - 2006 need to be rescheduled and, where necessary, re-prioritised,” IBEC's west regional president Pat O'Malley said.

IBEC proposed a number of measures for the region including the upgrading of roads, waste management and telecommunications.

In a report, the body said the revised completion date for upgrading the N6 must be no later than the fourth quarter of 2007.

To prevent delays following the introduction of tolls on sections of the N6, it recommended that the National Roads Authority (NRA) insists on the introduction of electronic tag tolling or has a maximum queuing time built into contracts, with penalties where targets are not met.

The IBEC report also recommended that Knock airport should be earmarked for international access.

“There is a business requirement for a direct, early morning outbound departure from Knock Airport to a major international hub (such as Heathrow) with a return flight in the evening.

“The current public service obligation (PSO) contract which is awarded by the Department of Transport to Aer Arann for the Galway to Dublin service expires on July 21 2005. It is essential that the PSO subsidy, which underpins this service, is continued,” it continued.

On waste, the report recommended that local authorities should either regulate or provide waste management services where there is the potential for a conflict of interest.

It said Government support is required in the West to drive investment in telecommunications networks and to ensure the development of high-speed broadband services. IBEC said emphasis should be on the provision of these services in towns with more than 5,000 people.

“Aside from the infrastructural concerns, the report also highlights how rising business costs are adversely impacting on the competitiveness of industry in the region. Increases in insurance, transport, waste management and wage costs have contributed to significant rationalisation and unfortunately, in some cases, closure,” Mr O'Malley said.

“Companies, particularly those in the exposed export sectors, are struggling to meet the cost of wage increases and are also finding it more difficult to get offsetting measures. The IBEC report contains recommendations in this regard, specific to key sectors within the region.”