Seanad debates
Wednesday, 5 November 2003
National Development Plan Mid-Term Evaluation: Statements.
This echoes Senator Morrissey's point with which I agree, that this country does not seem to have assembled the project management skills that exist in other countries. It is worth saying that the small European countries that are ahead of us in the competitiveness league built transport infrastructure, road, rail and other, at a time when they were poorer than we are today. They made a policy decision not to cut taxes across the board when they got rich but to sustain in some cases moderate, and in the case of Denmark, high, levels of taxation. We are not likely to reach Danish levels of taxation but moderate to high levels of taxation could generate resources to build the capital infrastructure that now sustains those countries. Finland underwent a severe economic shock with the collapse of the Soviet Union, as did Sweden in the 1980s but both countries have readjusted. They have not destroyed the things they value, particularly the welfare state. They have adjusted to a new economic reality and have done so because they have managed to continue to invest in infrastructure in the areas of road, rail and human resources. They have some of the best education systems in the world and some of the best health services, although there are waiting lists. I read an article in recent months to the effect that there is considerable controversy in some of the Nordic countries about the health services, because there are waiting lists. As some people have to wait more than six weeks for a major procedure, it is a matter of great concern. Our definition of having no waiting lists is to have nobody waiting more than three months, which is twice that length. Our definition of zero waiting lists is twice as generous and that is one of our problems; our own sloppy standards are those against which we choose to measure ourselves.
No comments