Slow take up under National Development Plan

It appears there has not been a running start to spending on items under the seven-year National Development Plan (NDP) 2000-2006.

Out of a total seven-year fund of £40.6 billion in Exchequer and Public Private Partnership (PPP) funding, £5.07 billion has been earmarked for spending in 2000. However, at yesterday's announcement of the half-year Exchequer funds, Department of Finance officials acknowledged that some spending programmes had started faster than others.

While the Department has yet to assemble the figures for money spent so far under the NDP by department, it acknowledged that extra spending was envisaged by the Office of Public Works (OPW) on accommodation for asylum seekers, by the Department of the Environment on roads and water services and by the Department of the Taoiseach on the National Stadium and "multimedia developments".

The Department of Finance acknowledged that some planned spending under the heading of transport had not taken place as envisaged.

This would reflect the absence of a decision on the Luas line between Dundrum and the city centre, for which a public inquiry has already been held.

Many of the high profile infrastructural schemes in roadbuilding have yet to get underway, although work is proceeding at design stages.

The Dublin Port Tunnel is behind schedule while the South Eastern Motorway failed to attract more than two expressions of interest when its pre-tendering process was advertised across Europe.

A significant number of road projects amounting to £1 billion, which were announced recently by the National Roads Authority, are to be built as PPPs which are funded, designed, built and operated by the private sector.

As such, the costs of these roads will not be included in Government spending figures. While the Department of Finance was unable to provide a breakdown of spending under the Plan, it was suggested such figures might be available by the Friday when the European Commissioner for Regional Development will hold a breakfast meeting in the Department of Finance.