FF must explain what capital projects they would cancel to fund an additional €4.3bn spending – Donohoe

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and Fine Gael TD for Dublin Central, Paschal Donohoe, said today (Thursday) that Fianna Fáil must explain what projects in the Government’s Capital Plan they would cancel to allow for an additional €4.3 billion spending on projects they want progressed. Minister Donohoe said this demonstrates the reckless approach typified by old Fianna Fáil as it makes absolutely no attempt to account for additional spending.

“Fianna Fáil needs to realise that it’s not 2006 anymore and that throwing money around like snuff at a wake is not the solution to every problem. In an attempt to criticise the Government’s Capital Plan, Fianna Fáil has suggested that a number of additional or excessively expensive projects are progressed, despite the fact Deputy Sean Fleming said numerous times this week that the Government had delivered a ‘great plan’ and that independent evaluation has said the projects could be built at a reduced cost to the taxpayer.

“The projects put forward by the Party amount to an additional €4.3 billion, with no account taken of what projects Fianna Fáil would remove from the Capital Plan to make way for the additional spending.

“The €4.3billion is made up of:

€3 BILLION on the tunnelled element of the DART Expansion project (DART Underground) which the National Transport Authority (NTA) has said can be redesigned to provide a lower cost technical solution, while retaining the required rail connectivity.

An additional €500 MILLION+ on progressing the original version of Metro North despite the fact that new Metro North, which will adequately meet the long-term transport and capacity needs of the City – Airport -Swords corridor, can be delivered cheaper. Again, the NTA has independently recommended this project as the preferred option from an initial list of 25 projects that were assessed. New Metro North had a cost benefit ratio of double the next best performing project.

€800 MILLION which Fianna Fáil says should be spent on the Cork to Limerick motorway, which there is no money to build at this time. The Government’s Capital Plan includes the development of numerous road projects in the Cork and Limerick region which will address urgent bottlenecks. If Fianna Fáil wants this project included, it has to come clean on what projects it would cancel to pay for it.

HOW WILL FIANNA FÁIL FUND THIS €4.3 BILLION?

“Fianna Fáil must outline what projects worth €4.3bn they would cut to allow for this additional spending? Or is their solution hiking taxes to fund their wild spending sprees? Fianna Fáil has no plan to reduce the tax high burden they imposed on ordinary workers and families after they devastated our economy. Instead they are intent on a return to reckless spending and throwing the billions around. ”