Donegal Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Sinn Fein Delegation Attends Peripheral Regions Conference in Lapland

Published: 26 June, 2006

Sinn Fein Cllr Pádraig MacLochlainn will travel with MEP Bairbre de Brún today on a four day long conference on EU peripheral regions in Kiruna, Sweden. The event will bring together MEP's from large number of EU member states to look at the impact of peripheral underdevelopment and its causes. The conference will also explore practical solutions to peripherality. Speakers from Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Sweden will look at the specific situations in each country as part of a process of sharing knowledge and experience of the relevant issues.

Pádraig MacLochlainn will address the issue of infrastructural underdevelopment in the North west of Ireland, with a specific focus on the benefits of cross border development as a key driver in regeneration of Ireland's most peripheral region.

Speaking before departure, Cllr MacLochlainn said:

"The North west of Ireland has experienced decades of under-investment from governments in Dublin and London. As a consequence the region experiences greater levels of underdevelopment, unemployment, and lower levels of public service and infrastructural provision.

"However, the North west is not unique in this regard. Across the European Union there are peripheral regions whose experience shares many similar characteristics. The purpose of this conference is to allow MEP's to explore the similarities and particularly to focus on how best to overcome the levels of underdevelopment that accompanies peripherality. In addition the European Union has a role in assisting national and local government in addressing these issues.

"Clearly there are important experiences which we in Ireland can learn from other European regions. Our colleagues from other member states can also learn from the Irish experience."