Coalition ‘deluded over progress’

THE Coalition was accused last night of being “deluded” following the publication of its second progress report on the Programme for Government.

The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste said that the past year was one of achievement abroad and consolidation at home. They cited the successful presidency of the European Union and Ireland’s role in securing agreement on a draft constitution for an enlarged European Union of 25 states.

Mr Ahern and Ms Harney also said in the report that there has also been real progress on a specific issues such as the LUAS, broadband, roads, insurance costs, old age pensions, capital investment in schools, and regeneration in areas such as Ballymun and responding to patients’ needs with the National Treatment Purchase Fund.

Fine Gael rejected the claim that LUAS and the roads programme were examples of real progress. “The Government is clearly deluded when it makes this statement. The LUAS was three years late and three times over the original budget,” said Fine Gael’s Enterprise and Trade spokesman Phil Hogan. The national roads programme was under-costed to the tune of €9 billion and we have a dysfunctional public service that is failing to deliver key services to the taxpayer, Mr Hogan added.

“What we need is more delivery, with the Government producing actual value for money for the taxpayer instead of producing reports that simply serve to clap themselves on the back,” the Fine Gael Enterprise and Trade spokesman added.