Pat Casey (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. I am acutely aware of the significant public infrastructure deficit across the country, the lack of capital investment over the past number of years and how economic productivity has been held back as a result. The most important area is housing, an area where there is a crisis. It is immoral that the State is leaving millions of euro on the table for European investment banks which is earmarked for investment in public infrastructure under the Juncker plan. My belief is that the risk aversion of the Government to PPP rather than constraints proposed by the fiscal rules is holding this back.

The fiscal rules are the greatest barrier to increased State investment in infrastructure. However, the European Commission Juncker plan to enable Government flexibility rather than the application of fiscal rules would promote investment in areas such as social housing. Yet in Ireland, the only public infrastructure projects being built and financed under the Juncker plan are 14 primary care units.

We need to think outside the box. Why is the Department so unwilling to engage with private finance to try to accelerate the flagging housing construction programme?

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