Lucinda Creighton condemns Govt's 'auction' politics; SF says it's 'not hugely ambitious'

The capital spending plan is just "auction" politics in the build-up to the election, according to the leader of Renua Ireland Lucinda Creighton.

Ms Creighton accused the Government of dangling projects in front of the electorate in a manner reminiscent of the Celtic Tiger.

Deputy Creighton says that the country has paid the price for this kind of politics before.

She said: "The same mistakes of the past are being made again. The old Celtic Tiger era style of plucking projects out of the sky without a whole lot of planning, research or logic - and dangling them before the electorate before an election - that is precisely what the Government is doing today.

"People aren't fools, we've paid the price for this kind of auction politics in the past."

The coalition is due to unveil €27bn in spending over the next six years in transport, housing, health, education and flood defences.

A revised Metro from Dublin City Centre to the airport and Swords is expected to be the centrepiece of the plan.

However, Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald says the Government is not really spending an awful lot more money that it already does.

She said: "€27bn over six years, the Government are rolling up figures over an extended period of time to make this plan sound impressive.

"They currently spend about €3.5bn per annum in capital expenditure.

"Do the maths on that, multiply it by six and you'll find it's not a hugely ambitious plan."