A new report to be published today says the Government must tackle the problem of ‘unbalanced’ regional development regardless of the economic downturn.
The report says substantial investment in road and rail projects, regional airports and in improved broadband services is vital to protect existing jobs in the regions.
The report looks at the particular difficulties being experienced in the west, the north west and the midlands regions.
Its author, Jim Power, chief economist with the Friends First financial services group, says the imbalances and disparities in all three regions 'are being seriously exposed by the current savage recession'.
He says the Mayo Industries Group - which represents leading companies including Allergan, APC, Baxter, Coca Cola and Lionbridge - is particularly concerned at the unacceptable state of the N5 Dublin to Castlebar Road.
These companies are now calling for a €220m investment in the road to protect 9,000 manufacturing jobs in Mayo.
They have warned that a particularly bad section of the N5 between Longford and Scramogue in Roscommon is damaging product, increasing delivery and travel times, and negatively effecting cost competitiveness.
The report says vital regional projects are already being deferred and there is a danger the situation will get worse unless the trend is halted now.
