National Development Plan spending in the north 'an historic milestone'

West Tyrone Sinn Fein MP Pat Doherty has described today as being a significant historic milestone as, for the first time since the partition of this island, a Dublin government administration has being forced to include the six counties of the national territory in its National Development Plan 2007-13.

Mr Doherty said,
“In the “amended” National Development Plan announced today, 1 Billion Euro is earmarked for the development of a host of infrastructure, economic, education, health and other sector projects in the six counties and border counties.

“While this 1 billion figure represents a just over half a percent of the total expenditure envisaged in the overall Plan, its significance is historic in that, for the first time since the partition of this island, a Dublin government administration has been forced to include the six counties of the national territory in its National Development Plan 2007-13.

“Sinn Féin has continually lobbied and argued with the Dublin government of the necessity to adopt an integrated All-Ireland approach to strategic planning on the island so as to ensure balanced regional development, sustainable growth and to practically plan for Irish Unity

“In tandem with continually presenting these arguments to the Dublin government, Sinn Féin has vigorously campaigned on key issues which, because of the artificial border, has left people in areas like the northwest and border counties at a severe socio-economic disadvantage compared to other regions of Ireland.

“These campaigns include: the demand for a motorway/dual carriageway for the N14, A5, N2 route from the North West to Dublin, a regional cancer centre for the north west and for a holistic and properly resourced strategy for the economic regeneration of all the north west through the Gateway initiative, and for people right along the border to be able to access the nearest Out of hours medical service regardless of which side of the border they are on.

“The National Development Plan, while not entering into specifics at this stage, includes in general terms these as issues to be addressed as a priority under its funding programme and the task now is to ensure that the opportunities now opened up are maximized to the full.