Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. As other speakers have said, we absolutely endorse the necessity for a national planning framework like this. I welcome some of the initiatives in it, particularly the Atlantic economic corridor. It has huge potential if the money is put into it. It is important that it is there and it is important that investment is targeted at it, especially around Knock airport where there is a strategic development zone. Senator Burke will know that. Investment needs to be made there urgently. That is what people are waiting to see.

I am concerned that much of what is cited in the plan and many of the projects involve cost-benefit analyses. Cost-benefit analyses certainly need to be carried out but the results of such analyses can be fixed. It depends on what variables are used. What also concerns me is that this plan is population driven. If one of the main factors in a cost-benefit analysis is population, many of the projects cited in the plan will fail. There needs to be clarity around the variables used in each of the cost-benefit analyses and there needs to be consultation with the local authorities and local communities in developing the criteria.

On the amounts made available through the plan, we have been advocating for capital investment for a long time. We know that it results in multiplier effects and that it is the only way forward. However, there is much more money which could be used for this plan and which would be needed. The Minister of State will know this. He talks about the capital envelope, the debt, the decisions that were made by Government and some crazy stuff about everybody telling Europe to go to hell. That does not serve anybody. However, we need to accept the reality of our national debt, which I think is the second highest in the world at €198 billion.