Ministers endorse national planning framework

Ministers insist they now believe the Cabinet’s national planning framework will help both rural and urban Ireland, despite failing to give any example of what last-minute changes have been made to ensure this will happen.

Rural Affairs Minister Michael Ring endorsed the €115bn, 22-year project at a hastily arranged press briefing at Government Buildings last night, after a special Cabinet meeting was held to address his and other rural members’ concerns.

Under draft plans released last September, which were heavily criticised for focusing on urban areas while ignoring rural Ireland, the Government said it intends to pump money into new projects across the country over the coming two decades.