Small firms lobby group ISME has welcomed the "refocusing commitment of IDA Ireland" to encourage inward investment away from the Greater Dublin region into the Objective One designated area. ISME said this mirrored a call it made last month where it recommended a moratorium on grant payments for multinationals which wished to locate in Dublin, thereby increasing inward investment away from the capital.

ISME chairman Mr Seamus Butler said, by encouraging foreign investment away from the Greater Dublin area, the IDA had recognised the benefits that would accrue to all sectors of the economy. "Dublin would benefit from less pressure being demanded on its infrastructure, property prices and labour resources, while regions in the Objective One area would benefit from inward investment and its offshoot to the local economy," he said.

In an article on the ISME e.g.m. earlier this week it was stated that directors of ISME had resigned last year and later reappointed themselves. Mr Butler, who is and was also a director of ISME at that time did not resign.