Ireland's future economic growth should be directed to regions outside Belfast and Dublin, even if this means restricting growth in those cities, the president of the Institution of Engineers, Mr Liam Connellan, said yesterday.
Mr Connellan said there was a clear choice between continuing the drift of population to the island's two principal cities or the strengthening of "gateways" which will lead to a more even spread of economic development.
Mr Connellan said it was critical the economy of such regions as Enniskillen/Sligo and Derry/Donegal be approached in an integrated fashion agreed by the two governments.
In planning for a population increase of a half a million people over the next decade, Ireland had a unique opportunity to reposition growth and direct some of the benefits of a resurgence of economic activity to the gateways, he said.
It was recommended that the population growth in Dublin be restricted to 5 per cent over the decade from 1999 to 2009, and that measures be put in place to achieve an island population growth of 12 per cent.
According to Mr Connellan this rebalancing of population may be achieved through directing inward migration to the regions. It would, he said, require regional job creation through the deployment of infrastructure and should result in most people living within 40 miles of a gateway or within one hour's commuting distance from work.