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The Journal
9 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
Analysis: Delaying details of big projects stinks of distraction ahead of the budget
LAST TIME OUT – back in 2021 – the government's National Development Plan ran to 189 pages. Today's document setting out the list of infrastructure projects the current coalition hopes to deliver over the next decade comes in at just under 50 pages and is rather scant on detail. The NDP is the government's long-term plan for what large-scale infrastructure projects will be needed in Ireland over the next five to ten years. Numbers in the billions were bandied about by the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister of State Sean Canney as they announced the plan at Government Buildings , but details on the top projects, the timescale and how they will delivered, were thin on the ground. There was no mention of road projects, new hospitals, or specific schools that were going to be built. They only real specific mention was that the MetroLink was getting fully funded, but the government still doesn't know how much it will cost. Instead of providing a list of projects, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said each line minister had a body of work to do over the next couple of weeks. Announcements to be made closer to October's budget Those various ministers will come back and outline their priorities and what they can do with the money allocated to them 'closer to the budget', which has been confirmed for October. Interesting timing. The Journal asked if pushing out the departmental announcements is an attempt to distract the public with shiny capital spending announcements ahead of what is expected to be a lacklustre budget, particularly for workers. The Taoiseach's response? He said the previous NDP in previous years was 'too big a document, if I'm frank'. He outlined how each minister will now have to prioritise the projects they want to get over the line. Advertisement 'They have work to do within the department in terms of prioritising the allocation of that funding and prioritisation is going to be key.' He denied there was any attempt to distract the public. 'I mean, this is concrete substance in terms of investment in projects, be it roads, in active travel, be it in third level education, be it in research projects, the people receiving that funding won't see it as a distraction. They'll see it as very real.' Martin said today's slimmed down document with little detail was the 'right approach', in his view. 'Doing things differently' Similarly, the Tánaiste said in the past, there has been a 'big rush' to publish the NDP, which included a 'long list of projects'. 'We've tried to do things differently here. We've tried to provide ministers and their senior officials with certainty as to the envelope of money that they have for the next five years. And now we're telling them to go back and look through and tell us what can be delivered and the pace in which it can be delivered. 'We have to be agile in relation to this. You know, when it comes to capital projects, you might have two projects. One gets planning quicker than the other. We have to provide people, I think, with the flexibility here on what can be delivered quickly and ensure that value for money,' said Harris. Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers also defended the document today, stating that he never intended to publish a long list of detailed projects. While the Taoiseach denied that departmental announcements in the run up to the budget were a form of distraction to keep the focus off budget measures, such a tactic would not be a surprise move. Why? There was a stark warning from government ministers today that October's budget projections could be built on sand. After the NDP was launched today, the government also published its Summer Economic Statement (SES), which outlines the parameters for the upcoming Budget. While in previous years there has been talk of 'bumper budgets' and once-off measures, there was no such talk today. Instead, the budget spending pot was revealed under a cloud of uncertainty. Related Reads Houses, water, health and Metrolink: The key points from the National Development Plan Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, speaking to the media at a press conference. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo While this could in fact be a very large budget, in terms of increased spending on last year, the Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe cautioned that a 'deterioration in the tariff landscape' would result in a 'recalibration' of its €9.4 billion Budget 2026 package announced today. The paper also stated there will be a €1.5 billion taxation package, essentially tax cut measures. However, this could be gobbled up if the hospitality VAT rate is reduced from 13.5% to 9% at a cost of €1 billion. The finance minister confirmed that there will be 'trade-offs' where other tax cuts might not get the green light due to the hospitality VAT cut. Fantasy economics Donohoe also confirmed that the SES published today is based on the workings that there will be 0% tariffs between the EU and the US. Yes, you read that right. Zero per cent. This is despite Tánaiste Simon Harris and other senior ministers stating that a 10% tariff is 'baked in' to government projections… just not for the budget package projection published today it would seem. Essentially, the SES published today is not worth the paper it is written on as no-one in government is working to the optimistic view that Trump will roll over on tariffs. If anything, the predictions are the landing zone could be above the 10%. Hocus pocus projections and fantasy figures are how the SES projections published today could be described. Even amid the economic uncertainty that comes with the ongoing standoff over tariffs, capital spending will be protected, the Taoiseach said, stating that 'current spending would be under pressure'. 'Our budget day decisions could change,' if the global uncertainty does come to pass, Donohoe said today. Chambers said the government will 'absolutely have to revisit' the €9.3bn budget allocation 'if there is a deterioration'. All this points to a strategy of delaying 'good news' infrastructure announcements until the autumn – by which point, presumably, we'll have a better idea of how grim the economic situation is looking. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Taoiseach on NDP: Infrastructure spend will be prioritised over day-to-day spending
The Government has vowed that the €200bn injection in infrastructure will be protected over day-to-day spending if tariffs cause an economic slowdown. As Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended the lack of detail in the National Development Plan (NDP), arguing that previous iterations were too long, he said borrowing to deliver the programme is not being ruled out. Details of how each department intends to spend its money will not be unveiled until October, with Minister of State at the Department of Transport Sean Canney admitting he 'doesn't know what roads are being done'. The new NDP will see a total investment of €275.4bn in infrastructure over the next decade. Some €102.4bn will be invested up to 2030, with a further €100bn to 2035. Much of the investment will go towards housing, with a total allocation of €36bn in the next five years. Some €7.68bn of this will go towards water. This does not include another €4.5bn 'equity injections', which brings the total for housing and water to €40bn. Some €22.3bn will be spent on transport, with a provision of €2bn for the Dublin Metrolink. The Metrolink money is part of a ringfenced €10bn 'equity funding', that will also see €3.5bn provided in 2025 to improve the energy grid. The rest will go to water. The Taoiseach said the Government will remain committed to infrastructure investment and if the financial situation changed, it would be prioritised over day-to-day spending. 'A lot depends on where the cards land and that negotiation [on tariffs] isn't over yet,' Mr Martin said. 'It's a tense negotiation. It's a difficult, challenging negotiation between the European Union and the United States, and it is one that is causing a lot of concern. 'We have factored in as much as we possibly can, various scenarios. But what we're absolutely determined to do, as best we can, is safeguard the capital side of the budget over the next number of years. 'We don't anticipate having to borrow, but we're ruling nothing out. 'But we do need the investment community, and particularly the international investment community, particularly in terms of the Metro project of that scale, they need to realise that we're going full distance on the capital. 'We will take measures if we have to, obviously, to meet the impacts of tariffs. But we are very clearly signalling that, unlike previous times, we want to protect the capital side of the equation. 'Current spending would be under pressure if such a situation [an economic downturn] was to emerge.' This was echoed by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, who said the 'priority' will be maintaining capital investment. Opposition criticism The opposition was critical of the lack of detail in the plan, with both Labour's Conor Sheehan and Sinead Gibney of the Social Democrats suggesting this was the case so that deals with independent TDs during Government formation talks would be kept under wraps. However, the Taoiseach branded this claim 'ridiculous'. He said: 'Sectoral plans will be announced by the ministers close to budget time. We're going to work through them.' Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said it was 'never my intention' to publish a 'long list' of projects as part of the NDP. One of the only specifics from the announcement was the inclusion of an additional €2bn for the Metro. Labour TD Marie Sherlock claimed the 'hype of €100bn' was 'punctured with little or no detail'. 'The reality is that this is a catch-up NDP, where the supply of housing and public infrastructure has fallen far behind the growth of our economy and our population,' she said. Sinn Féin TD Mairead Farrell, who is also chair of the Oireachtas Finance Committee, criticised the fact that the NDP review was just 49 pages. 'With the dust settling on their big announcement, we are still left wondering where all this money is going to go, how they will address the current bottlenecks, and whether 'value for money' will just be another political cliché,' she said.
BreakingNews.ie
2 days ago
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Ireland's infrastructure ‘does not need architects' egos going wild'
Ireland's new infrastructure plan will focus on the functionality of projects rather than 'award-winning' designs, a junior minister has said. The Government is to unveil its revised National Development Plan on Tuesday, which outlines how €200 billion will be spent across various departments over the next 10 years. Advertisement The plan, funded by taxpayers' money, some of the €14 billion in Apple tax money and windfalls from sold state shares in AIB, is expected to focus on housing, energy, water and transport infrastructure. Minister of State Sean Canney said possible US tariffs still pose a major threat to efforts to upgrade Ireland's infrastructure deficit. The Regional Independent TD, one of the several in the coalition government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, would not indicate what road projects would benefit from the plan, but suggested projects that are 'shovel-ready' would be prioritised. Mr Canney told RTÉ Radio: 'The first five years, up to 2030, are critical for us. Advertisement 'We have money in that space to actually get books done and infrastructure put in place – water and sewerage – to allow us to build their housing.' He added: 'The biggest threat to everything we do, everything we plan, is, of course, the tariffs, where they're going to land. 'I do accept the fact that in all things that we are planning, you have this cloud hanging over us, and nobody can predict what will come from the United States tomorrow or next week or whatever.' He said he could not outline what specific projects would be funded, but said more road projects would be given 'the go-ahead' in an attempt to spread economic activity across the country. Advertisement He said the 'broad figures' for each department would be announced on Tuesday. 'The reason we're doing it that way, it gives departments the flexibility to look at the projects they have coming up, look at which projects are shovel-ready, and we can get them moving as quickly as possible, because in every department, there is an urgency to implement, rather than to be creating more strategies.' In an apparent reference to the National Children's Hospital, a 'state-of-the-art' public infrastructure project which has been criticised for ballooning to a cost of €2.2 billion, he said there would be an emphasis on functionality. 'It is important that we deliver the projects, but also, and this is a key one, is that we deliver projects which are functional rather than being award-winning, especially in housing and in hospital infrastructure, we need buildings that will function. Advertisement 'We don't need to see an architect's ego going wild, are we to pay more money for something that's not adding to the functionality? 'I think most people would like to have a home that's comfortable and functional rather than have an award-winning housing estate from an architectural and aesthetic point of view.' Among the main projects expected to be mentioned in the report is the long-awaited Metrolink, which is estimated to cost at least €9 billion, but the Government has been warned the cost could inflate to €23 billion.
Agriland
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Agriland
Hauliers claim RSA ‘massaging' the driver testing figures
The Irish Road Haulage Association has accused the Road Safety Authority (RSA) of massaging the driver testing figures by moving testers from articulated truck, bus, and truck testing to car testing. The hauliers said that this has been done in order to reduce wait times for car driving tests, while waiting times for commercial driving tests 'increase exponentially'. The Irish Road Haulage Association said this is 'a crisis in the making for the commercial driving industry'. The Irish Road Haulage Association has outlined its claims in separate letters to both Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien and Minister of State with responsibility for road safety Sean Canney. The association has called on the ministers to remove the driver testing system from the RSA, 'before any more damage to the Irish economy is done'. Driver testing According to figures provided by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to the hauliers, between June 2024 and June 2025 there was a 27% increase in the number of driving test applicants waiting at month end for a test. Between April 2025 and June 2025, the RSA had significantly improved their performance for car and van testing, recording a 10% drop in the number of driving test applicants waiting at month end for a test. However, the number of applicants waiting for an articulated truck license test between April and June 2025 rose by 39.6%. The number of applicants waiting at month end for a category C truck licence driving test rose by 42% between April and June 2025, going from 907 people waiting at the end of April 2025, to 1,289 people waiting for a truck driving test at the end of June 2025. The CSO figures show a 12.6% decrease in driving test applications for category C truck licences between April and June 2025. Meanwhile, there was a drop of 8.5% for category CE articulated truck tests between April and June 2025. The CSO figures also show that the driving test applicants scheduled for cars/light vans between April and June 2025 increased by 49.2% from 15,287 tests to 22,810 scheduled tests. In the same period, the number of scheduled tests for category C trucks fell by 61.8% from 356 to 136 scheduled tests, and those for articulated trucks (CE licence) fell by 69% from 242 tests scheduled in April 2025 to just 75 tests scheduled in June 2025. The hauliers claim this period coincides with a period where Minister Séan Canney met with the RSA in the Department of Transport and gave the authority a deadline to return in two weeks with 'sustainable proposals to improve driving test wait times'. Hauliers Ger Hyland, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said the RSA moved their testing resources from commercial testing into car testing, rather than expand their testing capabilities overall. He claimed the RSA is playing as 'a dangerous game' which is 'effectively robbing Peter to pay Paul at a time when the haulage sector is desperately short on drivers'. Hyland added that the actions of the RSA are 'stifling economic growth in rural Ireland by delaying the qualification of suitably qualified professional drivers who are desperately needed to support small and medium sized businesses across the country'. 'The RSA know that the car testing figures are what will garner more media and political focus. That is why they moved their resources there, at the expense of the commercial driving sector. 'They just moved the driving test crisis from cars to commercial vehicles, leading to severe backlogs in the testing system for bus, HGV, and truck drivers. 'These are the drivers we need to bring tourists around, deliver goods, and keep our economy running. 'The RSA have learned nothing in the past six months and have demonstrated that their organisation is clearly not fit for purpose,' he said.
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Hauliers accuse RSA of moving driving testers off commercial vehicles
Hauliers have accused the Road Safety Authority (RSA) of moving driving testers from articulated truck, bus and truck testing to car testing in order to reduce wait times for car driving tests, causing waiting times for commercial driving tests to increase. The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) has presented its claims in a letter to Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien and Minister of State at the Department of Transport Sean Canney. The group said waiting lists for car drivers fell by 10 per cent between April and June but that there was a significant increase in the wait times for truck (42 per cent) and articulated truck (40 per cent) tests over the same period. It said there was also a backlog for bus drivers. The RSA and the Department of Transport have been contacted for comment. READ MORE IRHA president Ger Hyland described the situation as 'a crisis in the making' for hauliers, and said the RSA came under 'intense political pressure' to move their testing resources from commercial testing into car testing, rather than expand their testing capabilities overall. The IRHA said the improvement in waiting times for car drivers and the increased backlog for commercial drivers coincided with a period during which Mr Canney met with RSA leadership and gave it a deadline to come up with proposals to improve driving test wait times. The group has now called for the driver testing system to be removed from the remit of the RSA. Mr Hyland accused the RSA of playing a 'dangerous game', describing it as 'effectively robbing Peter to pay Paul' at a time when the haulage sector is 'desperately short on drivers'. He said the delays were 'stifling economic growth' in rural Ireland by delaying the qualification of suitably qualified professional drivers who are 'desperately needed' to support small and medium sized businesses across the country. 'Young Irish drivers who need a license to drive a bus, truck or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) cannot get licenses because the RSA have all but stopped commercial testing to focus on car testing,' he said. 'They have pulled the wool over this Government's eyes and instead of dealing with the high demand for testing, they decided to simply move the deck chairs around the Titanic.' Mr Hyland claimed 'driving school owners' have told the group that commercial driving license testing in Ireland has 'all but stopped' over the past two months. 'That means no new bus drivers, truck drivers, HGV drivers,' he said. 'We have young Irish people who want to drive for a living but cannot get a license so we are forced to bring in drivers from South Africa instead whilst young Irish people are forced to move abroad and drive there – all because of the mismanagement of our testing system.' He said one HGV driving instructor in Kerry told the group he did not have a scheduled commercial driving test in the Tralee centre since May and wasn't expecting one until at least August. 'He told of the devastating impact this was having on his business and how he had young drivers waiting since January for a commercial driving test to try and get a job,' Mr Hyland added.
