Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is a question we put to the Minister very strongly at the Committee on Budgetary Oversight. Projections to 2021 indicate that capital spending is barely keeping pace with depreciation. Professor Tom McDonnell of the Nevin Economic Research Institute, NERI, made that point to us most strongly. In fact, the figures he gave us showed that they are below normal accounting depreciation rates. That is a matter of grave concern. We have talked about our infrastructure, including metro north and having a proper road network for the north west and west as well as all the other capital needs of the country, especially housing. Is it not the case that the Minister needs to ramp up capital spending?

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