Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is to commit an extra €4 billion to 2021 in the capital programme. Given the long lead-in time for many projects, as we all know, surely it would be appropriate to bring forward a review of the plan in the context of discussions under way in another part of Leinster House on the serious need for urgency in meeting housing commitments. With regard to the commitment in the programme for Government to establish 135,000 new jobs in the regions outside Dublin and the associated investment, the jobs are to be created by 2020. This will require a massive capital investment in broadband and the road network. An extra €500 million has been promised in this regard. Surely, therefore, in the context of all the commitments made and bearing in mind that the plan is nearly out of date in the context of the commitments in the programme for Government and the promise of an extra €4 billion, it is time to review the plan.

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