Holding a Cabinet meeting in Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, was not a PR exercise but "a meaningful and significant gesture" by the Government on its commitment to regional development, the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, told a "consultative forum" on the productive sector.
She said its significance should not be underestimated and would only be seen later. The National Development Plan represented "the first real opportunity since Independence to really make things happen".
However, statements from Ms Harney and her Cabinet colleagues detailing the amount to be spent on different sectors were met with scepticism from the floor. The lack of infrastructure and the continuing depopulation of country areas were among the main issues raised.
Ms Marian Harkin, of the Council For The West, said her organisation wanted spending detailed in the national plan to be "front-loaded" in the Border, midlands and west (BMW) region so infrastructure would be quickly put in place to enable the IDA to attract more investment.
She said it was important that bigger projects in Dublin were not given priority over infrastructure schemes in the BMW region.
Mr Dan Gilmartin, chairman of the North Connacht Farmers' (NCF) co-op and an IFA official until his resignation in the past week, said he was not nearly as optimistic as Ministers about the preservation of the indigenous population in the west. In the rural area he came from three houses had been closed up since the start of the year.
He said rural communities depended on agriculture, and meat-processors were "walking over" farming people. Ms Harney had an obligation to tackle the "cartel" in the meat industry.
Other speakers outlined problems faced by small tourism operators, saying "struggling in tourism" was a more realistic expression than "sustainable tourism".
Ms Harney said the Government was determined the provisions in the national plan would be delivered. New mechanisms would be used if necessary to ensure they were delivered on time.
The Minister for the Marine, Dr Woods, said people had raised concerns about the location of landfall sites if the Corrib gas field was found to be commercial, as there was talk of the gas being shipped elsewhere.
The "logical" place for the landfall sites was in the western region. There were commercial factors to be considered in relation to developing the gas field if it was found to be commercial.