'€140bn needed to boost infrastructure development'

A firm of consultants has called for €140bn worth of investment in areas like transport, schools, healthcare and energy over the next 15 years.

In a report published today, A&L Goodbody Consulting said the investment was needed to protect the economy's future competitiveness and the population's quality of life.

The company said Ireland needed to be more ambitious when it came to infrastructural development and identified controversial public-private partnerships as the best way to boost investment.