Unbalanced regional development
A recent paper stated, that an over-developed capital city, is not good balanced regional development - ( Dublin being a growth magnet does not serve the national interest: Irish Independent: Saturday February 10).
Over 20 years ago the National Spatial Strategy was designed to identify areas of sufficient scale in order to set up a network of gateways and hubs hoping to drive development in the regions.
The idea was that investment, development, infrastructure and much needed jobs would be drawn to struggling areas in rural Ireland.
Sligo in the north west was one of the gateways chosen for further expansion. Two decades later there is not much sign of major progress.
There is no rail connectivity between Sligo and Galway, the two biggest population centres in the province of Connacht. Which could also be connected to Ireland West Airport.
Of course we should have a greenway parallel to the rail line, or at another suitable location. The N17 roadway connecting both large population centres - is not fit for purpose, as a lorry and a bus cannot meet in the narrow sections of roadway and carry on their journey - without crawling past each other. There is an urgent need for a new modern Garda station in Sligo, as the present one is well past its sell-by date.
The new Eastern Bridge project over the Garavogue river needs to be kick started, as well as the Sligo harbour development scheme. The Tubbercurry Garda station needs a major upgrade as space in the existing building is at a premium.
The government department that was taken away over a decade ago with the loss of over 100 jobs in the town needs to be lobbied for again ASAP.
Vital cancer and cath-lab services have been removed from Sligo University Hospital in recent years, and ill patients from the top end of Donegal, have to endure the torture of a 10 hour cancer bus journey to Galway and back for life-saving treatments. The Atlantic Technological University and the National Surf Centre project in Strandhill have been wonderful additions to Sligo and the Northwest, but much more is needed if Sligo is to become the successful gateway envisaged in the National Planning Framework.
The dream of balanced regional development appears to be a distant blur here in the Northwest, as progress moves at a snail's pace. We do not begrudge the cities of
Dublin, Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway their successes, but we would be very anxious to join them here in Sligo in bringing much needed critical transport infrastructure, improved connectivity, health services, law and order services, housing and jobs to an area that has been neglected by successive Governments for many decades.
What we need now is a masterplan to achieve a much better balance of social, economic and physical development. Not just in our cities and larger towns, but throughout the length and breadth of all the regions of our country.
In a much more balanced regional development programme going forward. With local, European and Dail elections looming, it will be interesting to hear what our politicial masters have to say on all these issues.
Or will it be just promises, promises, - and more promises, most of which never come to fruition.
Tom Towey, Cloonacool, Co. Sligo