Ireland 2040: ‘Repackaging’ of 179 projects a marketing ploy

The opposition has branded the Government’s Project Ireland 2040 plan as little more than a “marketing exercise” for 179 “repackaged” projects that is simply designed to bulletproof the coalition from any general election backlash.

Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, Labour and other opposition parties hit out at the plan after it was published in Sligo yesterday, saying the document is long on promises but short on detail.

Responding to the Government’s €116bn two-decade plan, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said “this is a very cynical exercise from what I can see”, and that the project is effectively about the launch of the Government’s “next election manifesto” at the taxpayer’s expense.