YES WE PLAN

Lack of detail makes it hard to sink your teeth into all this, says expert | Martin: NDP is undefined to give ministers chance to list projects.

- CIARA O'LOUGHLIN

THE Government has pledged €275 billion for a 10-year development plan to transform Ireland's infrastructure.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Simon Harris and Independent TD Sean Canney announced funding proposals for the National Development Plan yesterday.

The cash will be mainly spent on housing, energy, transport and the water network, and the Defence Forces will get €1.7 billion in new capital investment, the largest ever rise in military spending.

But opposition leaders have slammed the announcement as vague and lacking details of what specific projects will be funded.

The plan is reworked and reviewed every few years, with the Government giving a glimpse for the first time of what how it intends to spend its €14 billion tax windfall from Apple. The money is being used to beef up the country's NDP, a €112 billion package of infrastructure investments.

Despite this being the largest ever capital investment plan in the history of the State, the Government has been slammed for the "unusual" decision to provide few details.

This could be down to an expected disappointing upcoming budget, as politicians may want to save the details of exciting projects until then.

However, the Taoiseach said this lack of detail was done purposely to give ministers a chance to draw up a list of projects, with announcements coming "closer to the budget".

Research Professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute, Dr Alan Barrett, said it's difficult for anyone to sink their teeth into this report as it's so vague.

CLEAR

Speaking on RTE's Today With Claire Byrne, he said: "We have been used to over the years getting the details of the projects, why it's not happening on this occasion we are not entirely sure.