Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

None of the projects is set out in detail now. From an engineering point of view, not to mind a cost point of view, for planning reasons and to try to get co-operation with the agencies, we will not be able to deliver projects like these if we do not work on the basis of a prolonged period. The Government, based on the national development plan, the national spatial strategy and the best advice we have been able to muster, which has included working with people from South Africa, Australia and the United States in the course of the NDP, is trying to move satisfactorily from having very poor infrastructure to having very good infrastructure. We have done an enormous amount of work, which has been far ahead of our commitments.

Deputy Bruton mentioned the costs. We have spent more and delivered much more and have not completed all projects. In some cases we got stuck in planning——

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