DCU and UU report calls for investment in Dublin-Belfast transport infrastructure
in range of new cross-border regional development policies

A new report titled ‘Identifying Pathways to Developing an Effective Regional Development Strategy on the island of Ireland’ outlines several ambitious policies to address economic imbalances across Ireland. Authored by researchers from Dublin City University (DCU) and Ulster University’s Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC), the report focuses on spatial planning, transport, energy infrastructure, and economic development. It advocates for cross-border regional development policies and stresses the need for a North-South oversight body, similar to the regulatory structure of the Single Electricity Market (SEM).

Key recommendations from the report include:

• Establishing a North-South oversight body for regional policy, based on SEM’s framework.
• Revitalizing the 2013 Framework for Cooperation on spatial strategies.
• Launching grassroots consultations in infrastructure-deficient regions, particularly the Northwest.
• Aligning major infrastructure projects with all-island climate and net-zero strategies.
• Leveraging Northern Ireland’s access to both the EU and UK markets to attract investment.

Lead author Professor Deiric Ó Broin (DCU) emphasized that planning processes must reflect economic realities, noting that those realities extend beyond the island’s two jurisdictions. The report highlights the economic dominance of Dublin, with other regions—especially in the North—lagging behind. Belfast, once a leading industrial hub, has been outpaced by Dublin, and other sub-regional cities like Derry, Craigavon, Limerick, and Galway remain far smaller in comparison.

The report points out that infrastructure, such as the A1 and the non-electrified rail link between Dublin and Belfast, undermines the potential of the Dublin–Belfast Economic Corridor (DBEC), which is home to over 2.5 million people. A similar approach to regional planning in the North West and Western Corridor could help address historical underdevelopment in those areas.

Dr. Eoin Magennis (UUEPC), co-author of the report, argued that while strategies exist, implementation is often hindered by bureaucratic inertia and political disagreements. The report also highlights the SEM as a successful example of cross-border cooperation, which has withstood political instability and Brexit.

As Ireland faces key demographic and political changes, the researchers stress the importance of political will and administrative follow-through to avoid perpetuating regional disparities. They argue that now is the time to lay the foundations for a more balanced and prosperous future across the island.