Government urged to prioritise 13 infrastructure projects for Northern and Western region

THE government is being urged to ringfence more than half of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the Northern and Western Region of Ireland and prioritise 13 infrastructure projects for the region. These include the delivery of the Donegal T-Ten road projects and N17 Knock to Collooney Road Scheme, and the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Collooney.

The call comes from the Northern and Western Regional Assembly (NWRA) after a new study found that the region is now on par with the least well-off areas of Europe in terms of infrastructure.

New research by the NWRA has revealed that investment in transport, health, education, housing and energy infrastructure in the region is languishing far below that of its counterparts in Ireland and across the continent - with transport infrastructure the 17th worst of 234 European regions.

To address these infrastructure deficits, the NWRA believes a policy of 'positive discrimination' is needed to deliver regional equality across Ireland and to take pressure off an ever-expanding Greater Dublin Area.

Such a policy would involve creating a Ministry for Regional Development which would have a significant budget for delivering key infrastructure priorities across the regions. Many countries - such as Australia, Canada, Japan, France and Brazil - have created ministerial roles specifically focused on addressing regional development inequities.

The organisation’s Regional Infrastructure Tracker has for the first time harnessed data from public and private sources to reveal that, since 2016, the Northern and Western Region of Ireland has received less than 10% of the nationwide total investment in infrastructure projects worth more than €1m, and just 5.7% of investment from infrastructure projects worth more than €20m, despite accounting for 17.6% of Ireland’s population.

In contrast, the Eastern and Midlands Region received 66.5% of investment from projects worth more than €1m, and 75% of those worth more than €20m. As the Eastern and Midlands Region accounts for less than 50% of the population of Ireland, the NWRA believes the figures reveal an obvious bias towards the Greater Dublin Area.

The NWRA is one of three regional assemblies in Ireland and represents counties Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan, Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway.

The Northern and Western Region of Ireland is officially classified as a 'Transition Region' as it has a GDP per capita between 75% and 100% of the EU average, the only region in Ireland to hold such a status. However, the NWRA’s research has found that, in terms of competitiveness, the Northern and Western Region of Ireland ranks below some regions categorised as 'less developed', which are regions with a GDP per capita less than 75% of the EU average.

To bridge growing infrastructure deficit, the NWRA is demanding that the government ringfence more than half of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the Northern and Western Region of Ireland and prioritise 13 infrastructure projects for the region. These include the delivery of the Donegal T-Ten road projects and N17 Knock to Collooney Road Scheme, and the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor from Athenry to Collooney.

The report estimates that the total capital cost of delivering these 13 priority projects would range from €4.8 billion to €6.8 billion, which would deliver transformative benefits in areas of climate action, regional development and the all-island economy, while costing considerably less than the overall cost of the Dublin Metro.

Other key findings in the report include:

The Northern and Western Region ranks 218th out of 234 NUTS 2 regions in terms of transport infrastructure. Its Regional Competitiveness Index score is like ‘less developed’ regions in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

Patients presenting at Emergency Departments across the Northern and Western Region of Ireland are waiting longer to be admitted or discharged than the national average, with more than half of attendees at Galway University Hospital (51%) waiting more than 12 hours.

Some 6,950 households on the waiting list for social housing supports from the Northern and Western Region of Ireland’s local authorities - a number considerably higher than the 1,143 new social housing units produced in the region last year, with below average allocations in each year since 2016.

There are two SFI Research Centres in the Northern and Western Region but none outside Galway City.

Just 79% of households along the Border, and 83% in the West, have a fixed broadband connection. This is below the State average of 86%.

More than a quarter of settlements (25.2%) in the region have no spare treatment capacity for wastewater treatment, while the increase in onshore wind generation in Donegal and Sligo risks overloading the existing energy infrastructure.

The report also calls for a Citizens Assembly to examine how more autonomy can be given to local authorities and regional assemblies to address their own infrastructure deficits. As this work is undertaken, the report recommends that a Minister for Regional Development should be designated with a significant budget for delivering key infrastructure priorities.

Denis Kelly, director with the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, said: “We need to grow the economy in a manner that benefits all regions - not just the few. Adopting a regional approach for the revised National Planning Framework will be crucial to overcoming these sizeable infrastructure deficits in the Northern and Western Region.

“Delivering on these 13 priority infrastructure projects will go a long way in achieving this. These absolutely essential – and urgent - projects include the Donegal Ten-T Projects, the N2 Clontibret to the Border and the A5 road scheme – and the expansion of higher and research education infrastructure assets in the region.

Councillor Jarlath Munnelly, cathaoirleach with the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, said: “Without this type of regional approach in Ireland, we will inevitably see greater pressures being placed on the Greater Dublin Area – undermining the quality of life of its residents through excessive demand on public services, higher housing costs and urban sprawl – while also further blunting the economic potential of regions such as the Northern and Western region of Ireland.”

John Daly, Economist with the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, added: “Given the exceptional growth of the Irish economy – and the abundance of exchequer returns in recent years – it is remarkable that the Northern and Western Region of Ireland is in the bottom 20 EU Regions in terms of transport infrastructure. With notable underinvestment also evident across the region’s higher education, research, water, road and rail network, it is no surprise to see that regional inequalities in Ireland have continued to rise as population, employment and income growth remains overly concentrated around the Greater Dublin Area.

“In addition to this, the level of underinvestment in the region also has the potential to contribute to greater political discontent, with ample research from the OECD noting that rising regional inequalities tend to undermine the trust of regional voters in national governments and lead voters to more extreme political parties or choices.

“All this considered, the delivery of our 13 priority infrastructure projects – at a cost of between €4.8 to €6.8 billion – represents significant value for money for the State in the long-term, with the delivery of these projects having the potential to rejuvenate our region, while simultaneously supporting our climate targets and growing the all-island economy; all at a cost considerably lower compared to, for example, the latest cost estimates for Dublin Metro.”