DUBLIN could become like Singapore, 'a city state', where one over-developed region dominates the entire country, according to Roger Flack of the Cork Chamber of Commerce.

"The Central Statistics Of"ce forecasts that the capital's population could grow to over two million by 2020 and most major foreign direct investment coming into Ireland is still locating in Dublin. The development of gateway cities such as Cork should provide a counter-balance to the development in the Dublin area and help ease pressures on the city, " he says.

Flack believes a number of initiatives could boost Cork's position as an alternative to the capital.

"Cork Airport should be debt-free as was originally promised by the then Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan in July 2003. It is not acceptable that it should be saddled with all or part of its construction costs of 160m. The delay in redeveloping Horgan's Quay and the railway station is also another problem, especially at a time when the property market is so active, " he says.

Flack also called for action from the government on a conference centre for the city as well as a data centre for IT companies, which has been identi"ed by the IDA as a necessary adjunct to the existing infrastructure.

BELFAST WINS THE HIGH-RISER RACE FOR all the talk of Dublin having a few key high rise buildings, Ireland's "rst truly "tallest building" will probably be in Belfast. Work has started at Donegall Quay in Belfast city centre on the construction of Obel, a landmark 26-storey residential tower, 14 -bed hotel, 41,000sq ft of"ce block and double basement car park. Northern Ireland Minister for Social Development David Hanson never uttered a truer word than when, at the piledriving ceremony to mark the start of construction, when he admitted that getting such projects off the ground was not easy.

The completion of Obel is expected in autumn 2008.

All 182 apartments were booked within 48 hours of their release a year ago.