In an effort to tackle unrest among Fianna Fail TDs in Dublin the Minister for Finance is expected to prepare a multi-millionpound programme of EU and Exchequer investment in urban and rural blackspots.
Mr McCreevy had been expected to brief parliamentary party colleagues today on Government plans to divide the State into regions to secure maximum EU funding, but the meeting was yesterday postponed until next week.
Instead, with pressure over regionalisation growing from Fianna Fail backbenchers and the Independent TD, Mr Healy-Rae, the Cabinet yesterday decided a package of proposals should be prepared to deal with deprived areas in the event of regionalisation.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is to meet the Regional Affairs Commissioner, Ms Monika WulfMathies, on Friday in Cork where she will address a European conference hosted by the Labour Party. The Government is working towards an unofficial deadline of next month for the production of proposals on regionalisation.
The Cabinet yesterday agreed the Department of Finance should do "further substantive work on urban blackspots in the non-Objective 1 region".
Meanwhile, Mr Healy-Rae said he had been told by senior Government figures his constituency would be seriously considered for inclusion in Objective 1 status.
Although no conclusion has been reached on which counties should be considered for Objective 1 status for the next round of structural funding, Kerry South was not believed to be one of them. However, according to Mr Healy-Rae, it was one of the worst areas in Ireland.
"The land is hopeless. Between winter and rain, what the people have had to endure. They are fixed without a bale of hay, silage or turf. To think Kerry South can't get into Objective 1 is a laugh. It is a pure sheer joke to include Galway and exclude Kerry," he said.
While he did not wish to draw a boundary between his constituency and Kerry North, the two areas simply did not compare, he added. He could not say how his support for Government would be affected if Kerry South was not included in the redrawn region, but he wanted to see some programme of investment in the area.
"I would have to see what the package would be", he added.
"We have a Minister [Mr O'Donoghue] at the Cabinet table. I hope that man will be doing his very best to represent Kerry South and I have no reason to think he would not," Mr Healy-Rae added.
A Government spokesman said no decision had been reached on which areas would be included for Objective 1 status, but sources suggested it would not be possible to secure Commission approval for "a map of various pieces".
A number of Fianna Fail backbench TDs told The Irish Times they wanted the Government, as it proceeded with regionalisation, to provide dedicated funding for economic blackspots in their constituencies.
Ms Marian McGennis, who shares the Dublin Central constituency with the Taoiseach, said: "Politically there is a very big problem for Dublin TDs.
"What I will be doing is trying to convince Charlie McCreevy where it is possible, in any shape or form, to provide a package geared towards deprived areas in Dublin. It is very hard for me to go into areas like Clondalkin and say that, statistically, you are 101 per cent of GDP", she said.
Mr Pat Carey of Dublin North West said he remained to be convinced of the wisdom of dividing the State into two regions.
"I want to hear how the Government will deal with unemployment blackspots. I am looking for more than vague reassurances that the clearly identified areas, urban and rural, will get significant funding . . . It cannot be under `any other business' ", he said.