National Spatial Strategy under fire

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

Only 22% of the 10,500 relocation jobs are going to towns listed as hubs and gateways in the NSS, but 55% of the posts are going to Cabinet ministers’ counties, Fine Gael finance spokesman Richard Bruton said yesterday.

Minister Parlon said the NSS was a factor in the selection of locations, but it wasn’t the be all and end all.