Ireland’s Northern and Western region, comprised of Connacht, Donegal, Cavan and Monaghan, has scored well below the other Irish regions in the EU Regional Competitiveness Index.
The recently published 2022 index measures the ability of a region to offer an attractive environment for firms and residents to live and work.
The Northern and Western region ranked 113/234 regions, with an index of 98.2, below the EU average of 100. The Eastern and Midland region scored 122.7 while the Southern region scored 105.2.
The Northern and Western region was marked poorly for infrastructure and market size.
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus has described results as further evidence of the regional imbalance that exists in Ireland.
He has argued that investment and positive discrimination for the region is needed.
MEP MacManus said: “The Northern and Western region scored particularly poorly on infrastructure, scoring only 34.1. This is clear evidence that the lack of infrastructural development in the region is inhibiting our ability to attract business and jobs to the region and to make it an attractive place for people to live.
“Our region has been identified as a region ‘in transition’ and as a ‘lagging’ region by the EU in recent years and the imbalance outlined in this index once again highlights the poor performance of our region in comparison to the rest of the country.
“I have consistently outlined the need for an investment package for our region, by utilising Cohesion funding, State Aid flexibility, the billion euro allocation of the RRF and the Brexit Fund, to address the infrastructural deficit that exists and to provide for more quality jobs and opportunity for those who live here.
“In particular we need investment in infrastructure like the Western Rail Corridor, an acceleration of the National Broadband Plan in our region, support for the expansion of Ireland West Airport and their proposed enterprise campus, as well improved public services across the board.”
He added: “Positive discrimination for the West and Northwest is needed if we are to tackle regional imbalance and deliver economic development for our local communities.
