Developing the poorer regions in the State and tackling congestion in Dublin are central to the new national development plan for 2000 to 2006, due to be published in the middle of next month.
The £40.6 billion plan proposes major new investment in roads, public transport and education, as well as promising significantly higher funding for social housing and the health services.
More balanced regional development is central to the plan, according to a detailed final summary being considered by the social partners. This involves a big increase in investment in the less developed regions, as well as moves to ease the pressure of congestion in urban areas and tackle poverty.
The plan divides the Republic into two regions - the more prosperous south and east and the less developed border, midlands and west. While two-thirds of the total plan expenditure is to go to the former, the actual spending per head will be much higher in the border, midlands and west over the seven-year period.
Total spending per capita in the less developed regions will be just over £14,000, compared to £10,000 in the south and east.
The plan aims to attract more foreign direct investment to the border, midlands and west, while new programmes will also aim to improve indigenous industry in these areas. Tourism and the fishing industry are among the sectors targeted.
Some £2.9 billion will be provided to agriculture under the CAP rural development programme, while existing CAP payments will also continue. New measures to target rural poverty are also included.
New targets are also set for investment in local enterprise, non-national roads and other regional projects under separate headings which involve total spending of £4.2 billion.
As well as separate plans to develop the regions, a range of new measures to tackle social exclusion is planned. These include measures aimed at the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups.
In total the plan proposes investment of £10.4 billion in roads, public transport and environmental services. For the first time housing and health service infrastructure are included, attracting investment of £8 billion.
Some £4.7 billion is to go to the development of the national roads, a substantial increase over existing spending levels. A special Cabinet committee, chaired by the Taoiseach is to try to ensure that this spending can be implemented by overcoming planing hold-ups.
The third major area of spending is human resources, where £10 billion is allocated, including significantly higher spending on helping the long-term unemployed and early school-leavers. In addition a further £1 billion will be spent on a new social exclusion programme, of which £250 million is included to provide new childcare facilities.
A total of £1.6 billion will go to public transport in the greater Dublin region, including full provision for LUAS. A contingency allocation of £500 million is included for the underground aspect of LUAS and for other rail projects.
Water and waste management is another target for major investment, allowing Ireland to meet EU regulations and to develop new industrial locations and public housing.
The total amount of EU structural and cohesion funds available to support the programme will be £3 billion. The allocation of these funds to different programmes will be negotiated with the EU Commission after the plan is finalised and published. At least £1.65 billion of spending will be funded under public/private partnerships, programmes jointly funded by the State and business in areas such as roads and water management.
