Field of dreams or a plan that works?

IRELAND’S national development plan was effectively abandoned when the Government, with some fanfare, recently launched its programme of capital spending for the years 2010 to 2016.

The Government accepts the NDP is halved, saying they have to respond to new recession realities, and to lower growth rates projected for the immediate future. They claim with reduced land and building costs, they will get greater value from the new investment programme.

The Taoiseach boasted about the high level of investment planned, and the expected pay-off in terms of additional jobs.