Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In terms of infrastructure generally, it is clear that there is a broader issue here. The Government does not seem to have any imaginative or creative proposals to deal with the infrastructural bottlenecks and the necessary projects that will be required over the medium term. The previous capital plan was a five-year plan and in the first two years, very little happened because all of the funding was back-loaded to the last two. It got people through a general election. It seems to me that was its sole purpose.

There is an issue in terms of the volume of funding available to get necessary works done. For example, the children's hospital is now estimated to cost €1 billion. Will that impact on other health infrastructure across the country?

Will the Taoiseach clarify that? We were sold a pup years ago when Deputy Howlin said that the national lottery was being sold to fund the children's hospital.

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