The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, has welcomed significant increases in the Estimates for housing, roads and sanitary services - though his Department's overall budget has risen by only 2 per cent to just over £1 billion.
Altogether, the Estimates provide for an increase of £123 million - 16 per cent - in funding for infrastructural development, which includes social housing, national and non-national roads as well as water and sewerage services.
Social housing is up by about £45 million on last year. This includes a £20 million allocation to begin the demolition of Ballymun, the 1960s high-rise housing estate in north Dublin, as part of an eight-year development programme costing £180 million.
The allocation for national roads is up by 11 per cent to £291 million, while regional and county roads are to receive £198 million, an increase of 12 per cent. This indicates that the restoration programme initiated by the previous government will continue.
Water and sewerage schemes are to get £184 million, a 15 per cent increase, while the Environmental Protection Agency's budget is up by 17 per cent to £6.8 million.
A sum of £1 million has been allocated for the Planning Tribunal chaired by Mr Justice Feargus Flood.
The largest single cut, of 84 per cent, has been made in the grant for Temple Bar Properties and Temple Bar Renewal, the two State companies overseeing the development of Dublin's cultural quarter. Their budget stands at £325,000, compared to £2 million last year.
In the estimate for the Department of Public Enterprise, £20 million has been allocated for Dublin's Luas light-rail project. This indicates that there is some expectation that it would get under way next year, despite the commissioning of another study.
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