Martin Mansergh (Fianna Fail)

I move:

That Seanad Éireann

welcomes the publication by the Minister for Finance of the National Development Plan 2007-13; and

endorses this plan as a costed seven-year blueprint to transform Ireland and create a better quality of life for all.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. His late father would have been proud because he produced the first national development plan with his colleagues in Government in the late 1980s. He placed tremendous emphasis on public investment. I regret that there is an amendment to the motion. That practically everyone outside the House has welcomed the plan raises a doubt about the degree of commitment of parties opposite to implementing the plan should they be in Government.

The figure of €184 billion is a record. It is of historic significance that the European funding element, so important in previous plans, is negligible at €3 billion. In the plan's foreword, the Minister for Finance, who I gather will be in the House later, refers to the country reversing its history and consolidating its progress. As has been observed by a number of commentators, our healthy public finances and the fact we are not facing a significant ageing population provide us with a window of opportunity to address rapidly some of the infrastructural and service sector deficits.

The previous plan accompanied an average annual economic growth of more than 5% and was consistent with a financial surplus in every year except 2002 and a reduced gross Government debt of 25%. If one takes account of the National Pensions Reserve Fund, the latter figure is 15%.

This plan has four priorities, namely, tackling infrastructural bottlenecks, providing necessary educational skills, providing high-value employment and redistributing wealth to underpin social inclusion. The €33 billion investment in transport is an important element. A sum of €13 billion will be invested in public transport, which is relevant to competitiveness. For example, roads will be completed. We have the geographical advantage of being a compact island and nowhere is too far from anywhere else. When the roads are in place, we will be an attractive place from which to do business.

I would have liked more to be spent on non-national roads, given the great deal of work to be done in that respect, but it is not possible to do everything at once. There is greater emphasis on important regional roads connecting some of the main towns and funding for the rural transport initiative, aspects of which my parliamentary party discussed last night.

Contrary to the situation obtaining even ten years ago, emphasis has been placed on public transport, which is proper. No one can accuse the Government of not investing substantial money in that sector. However, I have reservations. Were the rainbow Government to include a green element — unfortunately, the Green Party is not represented in the House — that element would want to cut roads investment substantially, with which we would not agree. I would be surprised if other parties agreed.