Seanad debates

Wednesday, 5 November 2003

National Development Plan Mid-Term Evaluation: Statements.

 

Quite simply there is still a huge need for infrastructural investment. The solution to our poor performance in the past is not to reduce our investment, but rather to change part of it to investment in efficient project management. I do not care whether this is done by the public or the private sector as long as it delivers value for money. I am sceptical about public private partnerships, incidentally, as we have learned to our cost in Cork, when a €13 million school of music ends up costing the taxpayer €200 million. It strikes me as a very good bargain for the private sector, but not much in terms of efficiency. We need project management skills, cost evaluation and control as well as project control and not a retreat from the necessary investment.

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