There has been a broad welcome for the plan in the midlands, which will be one of the areas to benefit most from the £40.5 billion initiative.
A total of £13.3 billion will be spent in the Border, midland and western region (BMW), with a population of 960,000 people, over the next seven years. This will mean a per capita spend of £13,793. The figure for the rest of the State will be £10,250 per capita.
Mr James Stone, manager of the Midlands Regional Authority, said "the plan, in certain respects, far exceeded my expectations, and most of the ideas put forward from the regions have been taken aboard".
The announcement that 50 per cent of all new jobs from greenfield projects would be located in the region was more than they expected, he said.
Mr Stone said he was also happy that the strategy of growth centres - i.e. developing regional centres - had been adopted.
Midlands-based Mr Pat O'Rourke, deputy president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association, welcomed the provisions intended to ensure balanced economic growth for all regions.
"This should ensure that rural areas which lost out and have not benefited from the Celtic Tiger will be targeted for investment, job growth, and improved public services. This should improve the well-being of all rural families, including farm families," he said.