Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Kenny will agree that at the current rate of work each year 15 major projects are being completed, approximately 15 start and approximately 15 are under way. At any one time there are between 45 and 50 major projects under way. Twenty years ago the number of projects under way was three and the timescales were much longer as the country did not have the resources, which was not the fault of anybody. There has been a persistent roll-out of projects during the past decade. The National Roads Authority and the local authority system using the compulsory purchase order and the planning regime are now able to plan the inter-city routes and many other routes on the road network. During the next decade I hope we can continue to put in the resources. If those doing the figures are right in terms of demographics, in ten years' time we will have a population of 5 million and in 25 years' time 6 million. In 2025 the population will approach 6 million compared to 20 years ago when we had a population of approximately 3.25 million. This is an enormous population change. If this growth continues — I am always a bit sceptical of such figures because in the early 1980s the same people told us our population would probably reduce to just above 3 million — we will have to plan on that basis.

This will require a large capital programme for the next 20 years to get the country to the scale required for such a population. The good news is that we have the structures, the agencies, the professional offices and, in many cases, the personnel in the State to undertake the required major civil and engineering works. Where we have a difficulty is in the area of the metro and other such developments. Take, for example, the Transport 21 project we put together recently. Who would be Mr. or Ms metro here? Nobody here has the capacity to take on that kind of project. To identify the leaders for these projects in the next few years will be the big challenge for the system. They will have to be paid accordingly. As in other countries, if we are to get the appropriate people to do these jobs, we are talking about sizeable contracts to attract them here. I do not think there is an alternative. We should do it. If we do not, we will be sorry in the future.

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