A Sligo/Leitrim TD says the latest figures available on disposable income from the Central Statistics Office shows the gap is widening when it comes to where people live in this country.
The CSO figures show that in 2011 people in the Northern and Western Region had a disposable income that was €1,400 (fourteen hundred euro) below the state average.
Deputy Marian Harkin says despite the most strenuous efforts of the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, and the Western Development Commission, successive governments have failed to do anything to address the major regional imbalance in Ireland.
The Independent TD says when she examined the figures, excluding money spent on rent, the issue is seen clearly to be getting even worse in some counties.
'Let's say you compare the last ten years. In Dublin, it is 19.3%, excluding rent, in disposable income. In Roscommon, it is 5.3% .
In Leitrim, it's negative, it's been taken back in the likes of Longford, Leitrim and into the northwest.'
