Limerick Regeneration project survives Government cutbacks
FUNDING promised for social housing under Limerick Regeneration has survived the massive cutbacks in capital spending announced by Government this week.
But major transport projects in the West have been put on hold and fewer schools will be built as the Government trims over €30 billion from its outlay up to 2016 as announced in the National Development Plan under a revised capital plan the coalition says is about "getting more bang for our buck".
Fine Gael's finance spokesperson Deputy Michael Noonan, meanwhile, said only this Government could make such cuts and go on to describe them as "a stimulus package".
"Whatever it is, it is certainly not a stimulus package," he said.
Major road and rail projects for the West announced under Transport 21 and the NDP have been shelved. These include the section of the Western Rail Corridor – which was to have linked Cork to Sligo via Limerick – north of Tuam.
The Atlantic Road Corridor – originally planned to link Letterkenny and Waterford through Galway, Limerick and Cork – will now be a Cork to Galway motorway only by 2016.
The multibillion Metro North and DART Underground projects for Dublin have been spared and Deputy Noonan accused the Green cabinet Ministers Eamon Ryan and John Gormley of betraying a "Dublin bias" in what public transport schemes were retained.
Where the Government had previously announced it would build one new school a week, the rate of progress will now be 20 per year.
"Initial site works" for the new prison in North Cork, which will alleviate overcrowding in Limerick, are mentioned in the new plan but not the building of the prison itself.
Nor is there any mention of the proposed new courthouse complex for Limerick city, which is likely to be financed through a PPP.
The Government has rejected the charge the new plan is Dublin-centred and is focused on getting value for money in delivering vital social and environmental infrastructure around the country.
A major school building programme was going ahead and water services around the country were being upgraded.
"This capital investment framework provides a firm basis to progress those infrastructure priorities which are most appropriate in our current economic circumstances," ," said Finance Minister Brian Lenihan.
"These priorities support economic recovery, support sustainable job creation, deliver much needed social infrastructure, and assist in the transition to a low carbon economy.
"Taken together with the Government's overall strategy for economic recovery and renewal, they provide a firm basis for the dynamic and wealth-creating economy which will meet the aspirations and expectations of the Irish people."
He pointed out that the capital programme was five per cent of GDP, compared to an OECD average of 2.9 per cent.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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