THE end of decentralisation has been heralded by many as an end to a manifestation of Irish parochialism.

SOME years ago, the Government developed a National Spatial Strategy.

A CORK town is set to become a national centre of excellence for the teaching of maths and science as part of a major recession-busting initiative.

The Taoiseach tonight moved to defend Government policy on long term regional development and called on Dublin business people to fully support it.

THE Cabinet’s response to the Aer Lingus crisis, while being very welcome, falls far short of what is required to diffuse the situation, and suggests that it has failed to grasp the contradiction in its position and the damage it is causing.

HURLING and football clubs in neighbouring rural parishes are being forced to amalgamate in order to survive, it was claimed yesterday.

GARDA Commissioner Noel Conroy has placed unsolved crimes as a major priority in his last year in charge of the force.

Environment Minister Dick Roche today rejected calls to draw up a new blueprint for regional development as the country’s population is expected to pass five million by 2020.

THE Government’s National Spatial Strategy is out of date and needs to be redrawn to cope with the country’s rapid population growth over the next decade, a top planner said yesterday.

THE Government’s National Spatial Strategy is out of date and needs to be redrawn to cope with the country’s rapid population growth over the next decade, a top planner said yesterday.

The Government was today urged to redraw the National Spatial Strategy to cope with the country’s rapid population growth over the next decade.

THE President of the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) yesterday said too many decisions are being made without regard to the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) and the new National Development Plan must echo the NSS’s goals.

THE National Spatial Strategy (NSS) states that “the ability of Greater Dublin and some other areas to attract large-scale inward investment is clearly associated with their perceived advantages of being significant urban areas ...

Mary Dundon and Fionnán Sheahan

Growth plan for regions has failed to deliver, writes Political Reporter Mary Dundon

FORMER Environment Minister Martin Cullen's claim of an urgent need for a communications specialist to deal with the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) was questioned yesterday by Fine Gael.

ENVIRONMENT Minister Dick Roche yesterday staunchly defended the appointment of Monica Leech as a €1,200 a day PR adviser to his predecessor, Martin Cullen.

FORMER Environment Minister Martin Cullen brought in his €1,200-a-day PR adviser, Monica Leech, despite the department already employing one of the country's biggest PR companies to work on a major project.

CABINET ministers’ home bases had more influence on the selection of decentralisation locations than the National Spatial Strategy, Tom Parlon appears to believe.

Ireland’s biggest decentralisation programme will cost over €900m to relocate 10,000 civil servants around the country.

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

Minister for the Environment, Heritage & Local Government Martin Cullen will announce details of the first phase of a major economic development plan for Portlaoise this week.

Political reporter Mary Dundon reports on the gulf in incomes between Dublin and the regions.

THE re-opening of some disused railway lines could be a key to the future of many small towns in the West of Ireland, according to a report published today.

The Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) has called for the prioritisation of infrastructural development in the Mid-Term Review of the National Development Plan (2000- 2006).

PROPERTY buying is all about budgets - and Charlie McCreevy has kept the Irish property market afloat with his last two budget bites.

WE welcome the publication of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) as an historic contribution to spatial planning and development in Ireland.

THE announcement that Waterford city was to become a gateway city came as no surprise yesterday.

THE boundaries of Limerick will have be extended to allow the mid-west capital develop into a prosperous gateway city.

THERE was mixed reaction in Kerry yesterday to the news that Tralee and Killarney have been named as a joint hub centre for the south-west in the National Spatial Strategy (NSS).

Tommy Barker reports on a guide aimed at quality of built environment.