Irish Examiner view: Making the cash sums all add up

Project Ireland 2040

An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment,  Leo Varadkar, Minister for Environment, Climate, Communications and  Transport Eamon Ryan,  and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform  Michael McGrath, TD  at the launch of the National Development Plan 2021-2030  at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Julien Behal

There has been no shortage of optimistic days at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the past five decades, and yesterday’s formal presentation of the updated National Development plan, ushered in by the first Cork Taoiseach since Jack Lynch, is certainly one of them.

Micheál Martin was quick to rebut suggestions that many of the infrastructure projects included were wish-list items, long on aspiration and short on financial detail, but this occasion was more to do with what US president George Bush (the first one) called “the vision thing” than the nation’s appetite for hearing about discounted cash flow valuations, return on investment, and public-private partnerships.