Mr. Jim Power:

From my perspective, Deputy Shanahan has outlined what we are now spending on capital and what we will spend into the future. Capital investment is the most important thing a government can do because it is an investment in the future, it is an investment in the sustainability of an economy and of a society, it enhances quality of life and it generates economic development, particularly more balanced regional economic development. Capital expenditure, therefore, is king, in my book, but one is utilising scarce resources - taxpayers' money, basically - so it is essential that taxpayers' scarce resources are used in the most efficient, most effective way, whereby there is total transparency as to where the money is spent, there is accountability and there is an effective and an efficient use of scarce resources. The balanced regional economic development piece is crucial because governments over the decades, at least, have consistently pushed the agenda, at least in theory, of balanced regional economic development. It would be really useful to find out at a granular level exactly where the money is being spent. Patterns may emerge that may not be desirable - in other words, Ministers in constituencies directing most of the capital investment into their own constituencies. That is always the danger. Having a transparent and accountable process such as this could change behaviour, and I think the country, the economy, society and quality of life would benefit as a consequence of that.