As Senators are aware, there has been a significant international economic downturn since the plan was launched, which has inevitably impacted on Ireland's growth. Nonetheless, as I will outline shortly, the Government has continued to accord priority to the NDP infrastructure programme, notwithstanding a much more difficult budgetary situation. The plan comprises seven operational programmes covering the key areas of sectoral investment pertaining to economic and social development. Reflecting their importance in terms of competitiveness and employment growth, the bulk of the investment was planned to be channelled through the economic and social infrastructure programme – that is €26 billion altogether – and the employment and human resource programme of €14.2 billion. The plan also contained, for the first time, two regional operational programmes mainly comprising locally based investment in the Border, midlands and west, BMW, and southern and eastern regions, respectively.