Poor roads can only hold IDA Ireland back

Spare a thought for IDA Ireland. Oh, certainly, from the outside the agency seems like a stunningly successful one, announcing amazing new jobs projects faster than the reporters can write them up. But inside, the pressure from politicians to persuade multinationals to locate outside Dublin is taking its toll. Many companies insist on staying in Dublin because the roads outside the capital are so dreadful.

This week, the IDA revealed the latest mammoth project - Xerox's 2,200-job plan for Dundalk and Dublin. Underscoring the Dundalk part of the project, a 1,450-job factory, the IDA held the press conference in the Ballymascanlon House Hotel. The Tanaiste was due to fly in by helicopter, IDA and Xerox executives were to drive up from Dublin.

But it began to rain at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, and it didn't stop. By 4 p.m., one hour before the announcement was scheduled, the Tanaiste's chopper was grounded and many of the executives were snarled up in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the main Dublin-Belfast road.

The announcement was eventually made, some 30 minutes late. The Margin predicts the Department of Finance will feel some heat from the IDA on the roads issue over the summer.