Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)

As the Minister said, it is about delivery at this stage. All the projects he mentioned are projects that were previously announced. The NDP review did not bring anything new to the table. It was also scant on any real substance or detail. Most of the projects were on the books for years and some of them, like MetroLink, for decades. MetroLink, on the books for decades, is the only transport project the NDP review mentions. The Government is talking about new announcements but the people do not want announcements; they want project deliveries to happen across the island rather than being concentrated in Dublin. How many times has MetroLink been pushed out as an example of Government ambition when we have yet to break ground on it and there is still no plan to do so? The only thing that has changed over the years is the spiralling cost, which is now probably up to €23 billion. That is an astronomical amount of money. While an investment of €2 billion is substantial, it barely scratches the surface. Will the Government identify and deliver key projects? Will the commitments made in budget 2026 be part of that process?

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