The representative body for Ireland’s engineers has called for the establishment of a single unit tasked with the development of the nation’s infrastructure which, it says, will expedite the building of projects such as the Metro North and M20 Cork-Limerick motorway.

Imagine the scene: You’re the government official tasked with attracting foreign direct investment into the Cork and Limerick region. You collect a team of executives from a global US tech firm at Cork or Shannon Airport. They are interested in locating their European head office in the Munster region.

The upcoming budget offers the Government the opportunity to deliver a range of reforms that encourage entrepreneurship and ease the burden on hard-pressed workers.

Pressure is mounting on Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe to prioritise the multi-million upgrade of the vital N28 artery linking Cork and the city’s sprawling port operations in Ringaskiddy.

Cork Chamber has called for a merger of the city and county councils by 2018, claiming the move could deliver significant rates reductions for struggling businesses.

Thousands of jobs on hundreds of “shovel-ready” infrastructural projects could be created, if the Government secures agreement on an EU stimulus package, it has been claimed.

The Construction Industry Federation has said hundreds of projects around the country could be given the go-ahead immediately if the Government secures agreement on an EU stimulus package.

Work will begin on the long-awaited M20 Cork to Limerick motorway this year, despite Cork’s national roads funding being slashed.

LANDOWNERS subject to compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) have been invited to support a legal bid to improve their capital gains tax outcome.

THE planned N21 bypass of Adare village faces further delays as Limerick County Council has to change the route it opted for four years ago because of recent alterations in national road policy.