Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

Is this tangible evidence of an uncompetitive economy?

There has also been considerable negative comment about infrastructure but these comments completely ignore the fact we are improving and catching up with an unprecedented growth rate. These observations also overlook what has been and will be achieved. In November 2005 the Government launched Transport 21, a €34 billion ten-year capital investment programme to transform transport infrastructure and services. This was in recognition that delivery on this front was absolutely central to our competitiveness and continued long-term and sustainable social and economic prosperity.

There is no doubt the unprecedented level of economic growth in the past decade, particularly since the turn of the century, has put massive pressure on our roads, rail, air and other public transport services. By 2015, however, we will have transformed the national roads network with high standard interurban routes connecting the island's main cities and other key road routes such as the Atlantic road corridor.

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