Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's reference to Brexit and its potential implications for the economy and our ability to meet the demands of the plan is based on an assumption that there will be a transitional agreement that will not have a detrimental effect on the provisions he has made for capital expenditure under the plan. He says increasing capital expenditure by 25% will be sufficient to meet the demands of the plan over ten years. That is fine. I would have no problem with that if it were the case that the various bodies that produced these reports and the severe sectoral implications outlined in the Copehagen report, for example, could be referred to in the plan to ensure there is a safety net in place to guarantee the commitments made by the Government with regard to capital expenditure. That expenditure is badly needed and I accept the Minister's commitment to it in the face of Brexit, but there must be more openness and greater transparency on such reports which are very informative and, in some cases, alarming. There must be reference points associated with the national development plan to ensure the commitment to it, notwithstanding the effects a hard Brexit would have on the economy.

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