Taoiseach denies claims that specific infrastucture plans being withheld to protect 'Lowry deal'
Ahead of the publication of today's review of the National Development Plan (NDP) — which sets out government infrastructure spending up to 2035 — some opposition TDs claimed that details of the review were being withheld.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Social Democrats TD Sinéad Gibney said: 'Let's be clear that the details of the NDP are being withheld so that the Lowry deal isn't yet exposed'.
This notion was echoed by Labour TD Conor Sheehan, who said: 'Details of the NDP are being held back in order to try bury the Government's deal with the Lowry independents'.
After government formation talks concluded earlier this year, a number of government supporting Regional Independent TDs claimed they had received a range of commitments for their localities, but details of these were never officially announced by government.
This led to calls from the opposition for the government to be more transparent about what members of the Regional Independents (who were led by TD Michael Lowry during government formation talks) received in exchange for their support.
Today's NDP review outlines top level investment being directed to each government department, but unlike previous years, it does not outline funding for specific projects.
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During a press conference about the NDP this afternoon, the Taoiseach rubbished the claims from the opposition as being 'ridiculous'.
He said specific projects had not yet been agreed by each individual Department, with ministers deciding what to prioritise spend on themselves 'closer to the Budget' in October.
'It has absolutely nothing to do with any agreement with the Independents,' Martin said, adding again that it was a 'plain ridiculous' suggestion from opposition TDs.
'Nothing at all,' he stressed.
He said individual ministers will announce their funding priorities over the coming weeks and that this was 'no big deal'.
'It will happen,' he said.
The Regional Independents spokesperson in government, junior minister for roads in the Department of Transport Sean Canney, said that right now, he does not know what roads will be built as a result of the NDP review.
'That's the focus that I'd be having for the next five or six weeks, is to make sure that we have a plan that's implementable, and that for the money we have now…that we actually spend it all right and proper for the people,' he said.
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