There has been a strangely subdued reaction to the proposal to turn Newry into a commuter base for Dublin. The Newry Next plan would see 6,000 houses built in and around the Co Down city over 10 years. Lower taxes and construction costs mean a new house that might sell for €400,000 in Mullingar would be €150,000 cheaper north of the Border. Dublin commuters would also benefit from the North’s lower cost of living while continuing to earn higher southern wages. Newry has good road and rail links to Dublin and Belfast, making it a potential commuter hub for an east coast economic corridor – a concept that has long attracted official interest.

The 64-page Newry Next report was distributed to political parties in Northern Ireland last week by its authors, businessman Paschal Taggart and artificial intelligence adviser Ger Perdisatt. Initial feedback was reportedly positive. However, the only public expression of support was from the SDLP. Justin McNulty, the party’s Newry MLA, posted on X:........

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