Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this timely debate on the national capital expenditure plan. We need to debate the issue in the context of where the country is at and from where it has come in recent years. We must acknowledge that there were serious reductions in capital expenditure and infrastructural investment owing to the state of the economy from 2007 until recently. However, I must give the last Government credit for continuing to invest in schools, in building new schools, continuing the prefab replacement scheme and building school extensions all over the country. We have almost eradicated the use of prefabs, although there is still some work to be done in that regard.

In 2015 a new capital plan was announced in which housing was prioritised, an in which I had a role. Over €4 billion was provided for various schemes throughout the country. That sum has been expanded since, with €5.5 billion being provided for housing. It is no good, however, just having the money in place. We need to get building under way. With the restoration of our economic fortunes, the country can once again provide for capital investment. However, as the Minister of State outlined, we need to undertake such investment in a coherent, logistical and transparent way.

I was somewhat bemused to hear a Sinn Féin representative criticise the Government when members of that party speak out of both sides of their mouths. In Northern Ireland Sinn Féin will not take responsibility to govern. In most local authorities the party will not take responsibility for voting on a budget, but its members still look for all services.

Even recently, in the Joint Committee on the Future Funding of Domestic Water Services of which I was a member, where investment is critically needed in water infrastructure, they did all in their political power to undermine capital investment by the populist stances that they take. That is typical of Sinn Féin.

We in government focus on the positive ways in which the economy can provide for the communities into the future and that is why a new national development plan 2040 is due to be announced shortly. It is vital that the capital plan is linked intrinsically and strongly to that new national development plan 2040 because that will outline the vision for economic growth in this country and it is critical that investment is made in tandem with that.

At present, Dublin is a vortex of economic activity. It is overheating. However, we have cities around the country that are capable of providing for the economy and driving the regions in which they are. The national spatial strategy was a good strategy at the time but it failed miserable. It failed because cities, such as Waterford, the area that I come from, did not have the capital investment infrastructure that it required and that went with the status that it was given. Now we have a unique opportunity to put that right with the new national development plan and the new capital investment plan.

Using Waterford and the south east as an example, where it is envisaged that we want to grow that city to almost double in population terms, it is critical that we invest in essential infrastructure. The north quays in Waterford are similar to a mini-docklands and there is huge potential for the city to grow in that area. There is interest in investing over €300 million of private investment to provide housing, commercial activity, tourism-related activity and a strong retail offering for a city that should be attracting people from around the entire south-east region. This development will require substantial Government investment that can return to the Exchequer solid taxes and income. It will require in the order of €60 million of investment. I have already spoken to the Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, regarding the critical need for this investment and I am certainly hopeful it will be a strong part of the announcements of the capital plan over the coming months.

Other areas that require investment in the region are regional infrastructure such as University Hospital Waterford, which is a level 4 acute hospital. It is getting a new palliative care unit with a five-storey building that will certainly help in regards to beds but there is a strong need for a €3 million investment in a regional emergency cardiac care service to bring it up to a 24-7 service. I will continue to voice that need for my region here in the national Parliament.

I am not being parochial here. These are all regional needs I am outlining. If we are going to have a strong country, we must have strong regions. We need a technological university for the south east. I am glad to report that WIT and Carlow IT are now working together. For that to progress, it will require capital investment.

Senators spoke about the roads and road safety. That is an area that fell behind considerably during the dark days of the recession. The rural and regional roads need investment. The road between my city and the Minister of State's, the N24 from Limerick to Waterford, is probably the worst national road in the country. I would urge the National Transport Authority and everybody involved in policy making on roads to look at that road with regard to an upgrade. If we must have strong regions and inter-connectivity between the cities, that is one road that needs work.

I could go on forever on areas such as broadband and next generation investments in information technology. Climate change will be a significant challenge for this country and we will need investments in renewable energies. All of the regions can contribute positively in that respect and that is why we need a coherent vision for this country with the plans and the infrastructure, and the expenditure, to make it happen.