The failure of successive governments to tackle rural decline and regional neglect was slammed at an information meeting in Claremorris, Co Mayo, this week.

A number of speakers expressed deep dissatisfaction and frustration at what they claimed was the “Dublin government’s” disregard for the northwest.

“We are suffering from an infrastructure deficit, particularly in terms of transport and connectivity,” said Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus, who hosted the meeting.

MacManus referenced the results of a recently published 2022 EU regional competitiveness index, which found that the northern and western region lagged well behind the rest of the country.

This theme was taken up by Mayo councillor Gerry Murray, who pointed out that the northwest was considered “a region in transition” in European terms, which meant that it was on the cusp of serious decline.

Murray claimed the European Commission was “more animated” about the northwest’s problems than senior civil servants in Dublin.

He said the proposed new road from Strokestown to Ballaghaderreen was indicative of the “substandard infrastructure” being put in place in the northwest.

Murray pointed out that the road is not being upgraded to dual carriageway status, despite it being the main artery to the west.

He called on the IFA not to co-operate on land sales for the project in protest at the road’s low specification.

Liam Scollan, the former head of the Western Development Commission and Ireland West Airport, maintained that the power and influence of the State’s Dublin-based senior civil servants had to be curbed for progress to be made on rural and regional development.