Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

Last week's ESRI's halfway progress report on the NDP is a damning indictment of the management of the biggest investment programme in the history of the State. The ESRI judgment was clinical, crisp and critical. The clear message is that the thrust of the programme of the NDP is sound, but the Government is manifestly incapable of managing a €51 billion programme, designed to create a modern and efficient Ireland capable of meeting the economic and social demands of the 21st century. The Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, claims the programme is fundamentally sound and that was the ESRI's judgment. However, the plan, which is at its 50% juncture, is mismanaged, grossly over its expenditure targets and needs to be revamped to get it back on track immediately.

Instead of accepting the ESRI's analysis, Ministers immediately set upon the report after its publication. First out of the traps was the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Cullen. His insulting dismissal of the report as absolute nonsense was followed by support for his view by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern. On the ESRI's call for the Government to leave investment in broadband to the private sector, he offered the equally insulting and derogatory observation that "To a certain extent, maybe they did not fully understand broadband".