Ireland's unparalleled growth over the past decade is frequently cited abroad as an inspiring example of economic transformation. Whether among the newer EU member states or among once impoverished countries in the developing world, the story of the "Celtic Tiger" has been told and retold so often that it has almost acquired mythical status.
The negative aspects were either ignored, or painted out of the picture - even by us. But it has become obvious to more perceptive visitors to Dublin, in particular, that the city is dysfunctional. The chaos at Dublin airport is merely a foretaste of the congestion generated by the region's economic success and the Government's failure to curtail suburban sprawl.
The word is now getting out. As reported in this newspaper, Dublin's sprawl is being used by the European Environment Agency (EEA) as a "worst-case scenario" of urban planning so that newer EU member states might avoid making the same mistakes. It is clear that the authors of a report by the agency on sprawl throughout Europe, due to be published next month, were quite taken aback by what they found here. They concluded - quite correctly - that it was the result of laissez faire planning policies which allowed development to run out of control. And their message to newer EU member states is that they should seek to avoid making the same mistakes as we made over the past decade.
The Government has one last chance to put Ireland on the path towards the so far elusive goal of sustainable development. Ministers and senior officials are currently finalising a new National Development Plan (NDP), covering the period 2007-2013, and its investment priorities will largely determine our future quality of life.
"If we seize this opportunity, the future is bright. If we fail, we will struggle for decades," according to Prof Frank Convery, chairman of Comhar, the Sustainable Development Council, which hosted a three-day conference on the issues involved last week. So what the NDP needs to focus on, in his view, is the quality of our environment, innovation and inclusiveness.
As Prof Convery pointed out, sustainability is about quality of life in all its aspects - jobs, rising disposable income, fairness and opportunity, and protecting our environment. None of these can be discounted in a sensible, civilised society. One of the most important issues to be tackled is spatial planning, because this will govern where we live and how we get around. If the new NDP ends up encouraging more sprawl, it will squander the chance of creating a better quality of life in more compact, less car dependent cities and towns.