The Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA), which was established in January 2015, is part of the regional tier of governance in Ireland. It is primarily focused on the preparation and implementation of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs), integration of Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs), management of EU Operational Programmes, EU project participation, implementation of national economic policy, and working with the National Oversight and Audit Commission. The region covers nine counties containing twelve local authorities namely – Longford, Westmeath, Offaly, Laois, Louth, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councils along with Dublin City Council. The region includes 3 sub-regions or Strategic Planning Areas (SPAs), namely the Midland, Eastern and Dublin, see Figure 1. The 38 strong membership of the Assembly is predominantly nominated by these local authorities to represent the region as policy makers to create a better region and a brighter future for its citizens.