Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----and the plan itself would most definitely would win an award for screenplays. The hype of the launch was designed to distract from the many flaws in the plan. It was intended to distract from the Government's overall incompetence in delivering on big infrastructure projects to date.

On housing, this Fine Gael-led government and its Fine Gael-led predecessor have launched four housing plans, with at least a dozen PR events, accompanied by an endless supply of ministerial hard hats and high-visibility jackets. Yet more than 8,000 people, including 3,000 children, are homeless this evening. If the Government cannot deliver homes for children, how will it deliver on Ireland 2040?

On broadband, the Fine Gael-led government and its Fine Gael-led predecessor have made three separate announcements on rolling out a national broadband plan. The Government has missed all of its own deadlines, leaving tens of thousands of homes without broadband. If the Government cannot deliver on basic broadband, how will it deliver on Ireland 2040?

Then there is public transport. Where is he again, the Scarlet Pimpernel of transport, Lord Ross? Before Christmas, Ministers queued up to be on the cross-city Luas with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, and the Taoiseach. However, they are all missing in action since the delays that have occurred because of the chaotic roll-out of this new service, which my colleagues will highlight this evening. If the Minister, Deputy Ross, cannot deliver a basic train service, how will he deliver on Ireland 2040? I could continue in this vein, but time is against me. However, when it comes to major infrastructure plans, the Government has a record of selling pups to the Irish people. This time they are not going to buy it.

I welcome the ambition. The Minister will know that I wanted to see capital expenditure increase to above EU levels. I have been calling for this for some time. However, the Government has sought to overwhelm us with the figure of almost €116 billion. If we divide €116 billion by ten years and consider that nearly €49 billion of that has already been committed to projects between 2016 and 2021, the increase in the proposed annual spend is relatively small.

Moreover, in what may become the biggest flaw in a plan of flaws, this plan and its promises are prepared on the basis that there will be no major economic shocks to the country during its ten-year implementation period, despite the potential impact of Brexit on our economic growth prospects. There is an irony in the fact that this plan was published in the same week as the Copenhagen Economics report on the impact of Brexit, as Deputy Cowen has mentioned. Published by a Department without any spin, this report showed that in a worst-case Brexit scenario, Ireland's output could be reduced by between €3 billion and €7 billion per year. Nobody wants to see that happen but if it does, what will become of Ireland 2040 then?

In his opening remarks, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, referred to the International Monetary Fund, IMF, public investment management assessment report of 2017, but as with so much within the NDP, there is very little action towards it. Last December, I published a Bill on behalf of Fianna Fáil that would implement that report's recommendations to ensure that taxpayers would get value for money and that best practice would be followed in each project. The Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Bill 2017 would mandate the Comptroller and Auditor General to formally review the performance of key projects that reach certain spending levels to ensure taxpayers get value for money. This Bill would bring Ireland into line with international best practice standards. In South Korea, for example, a fundamental review is triggered if the costs of a project rise by more than 20% in real terms, or if forecast demand falls by more than 30%.

Infrastructure has to be about more than ribbon-cutting opportunities for Ministers. This Bill will ensure that projects deliver on what they promised, that there is accountability around the spending of public money and that there is follow-up on poor performance. We have also proposed, as Deputy Cowen said, a national infrastructure commission.

Once again, dozens of organisations and Departments will be tasked with delivering this plan. This will lead to inevitable duplication and delay. In fact, many Government organisations will object to some of the provisions within this plan. In Fianna Fáil we have proposed a new national infrastructure commission should be established, tasked with planning ahead over a 25-year period.

The commission should be tasked with a series of targets including achieving 4% of GDP infrastructure investment; decarbonising Ireland; developing a strong transport network that balances regional development; making Ireland an IT nation with telecommunications connectivity that is relevant to the day; and a secure, balanced energy mix. The commission's reports should be laid before the Oireachtas and subject to scrutiny, unlike this plan. Departments will be required to draw up plans based on the commission’s recommendations as passed by the Oireachtas. What is wrong with setting up a body to deliver the plan and having the ambition to make the plan accountable?

Both Ministers referred to the new funds for urban and rural regeneration, around which there has been the greatest hype. There is no doubt that the concept of both these funds is excellent. However, an initial analysis shows flaws. The urban regeneration and development fund seems to pit projects in the chosen cities of Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway against projects in the 41 towns with a population in excess of 10,000. A sum of €2 billion over ten years equates to €200 million a year. Ambitious and worthy projects were previously identified within the five cities, which will reduce the fund further, leaving crumbs for the 41 towns. So much for regional balance. In the case of both funds, local authorities are mentioned as potential partners for co-financing. These are the same local authorities under the charge of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government that do not have the money to fix regional and local roads after such a bad winter, yet he expects them to be partners in a multi-billion euro fund. He should get real about the financial condition of our local authority. We will engage with him in the roll-out of the terms and conditions of the funds but he should not hype them to the extent that he has.

How many of the announced projects, whether they were announced previously or are new announcements, have planning permission? In recent years, our planning system has become clogged with large projects, objections and further delays caused by a lack of resources in An Bord Pleanála. If the Government is serious about implementing the plan, as opposed to launching it, the Minister needs to power up An Bord Pleanála to give it the intellectual, financial and IT capacity to deal with what emerges from the plan. A fully resourced board will ensure Ireland 2040 does not become Ireland 2080.

During these statements - this is not a debate - my colleagues will deal with the specific areas of the plan that relate to their various portfolios. I refer to my county. I welcome the commitments in respect of Ireland West Airport Knock and the specific recognition given to it in both the NDP and the NPF. The consultation with the European Commission was referred to by the Taoiseach last Friday evening as something "that was about to begin" regarding state aid but that has been under way for some years. The Minister for Finance initiated it when he was Minister for Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport years ago. That is still going on and needs to be brought to a conclusion as soon as possible in order that this investment can proceed. A strategic development zone, SDZ, is being developed at the airport. Mayo County Council needs to given the proper resources to bring this SDZ to market as soon as possible

I welcome to the commitment to a review of the potential of the western rail line extension from Athenry to Tuam and from Tuam to CIaremorris. The western rail corridor offers a major opportunity to improve the industrial and manufacturing offering of the west and could make a significant contribution to decarbonising our economy. However, this review needs to be open to the communities and organisations involved and not become a box ticking exercise in some Department with a predetermined outcome. I welcome also the proposed upgrades to the N5 between Scramogue and Ballaghdereen, but my earlier warnings on planning apply. The N5 Turlough to Westport upgrade was reannounced in this plan. However, when this was previously announced, all we got was a row of glorified garden fences and, therefore, I will withhold judgment until I see a road. I am angry at the virtual deletion of the N26, which connects Ballina to the N5, from the national roads programme to 2027. It receives a mere nod in this plan with no indication of follow up in terms of budget or timelines. This road is necessary and long overdue, as it is an essential social and industrial artery. The notion that it has been delayed because of planning challenges represents a failure of commitment and imagination that is in evidence in respect of other roads in similar condition and that must be reversed. Similarly, in the long list of regional roads featuring in the plan, which funnily align with the constituencies of Ministers, the R312 between Erris and Castlebar is not deemed worthy of Government support. Connectivity is the buzz word of this plan but the meat within in suggests that connectivity will be weak. There are many other flaws but I will deal with them on another occasion.

Last Friday, the emperor and his foot soldiers gathered under the shadow of Ben Bulben and offered a new dawn for Ireland. We had Yeats and every other kind of poetry going. The Minister for Finance used doctored quotes from Ted Kennedy. However, in offering that new dawn, it was the same dawn the Government has offered on two or three occasions previously except this time the dawn was brighter because it was painted brighter and the spinning, packaging and pizzazz was better. The Ministers must be proud but I do not know if they will feature in the advertisements, "Coming to a cinema near you". This dawn will turn out like all those promised by the Government previously - it will never turn into day.

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