Today Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, and the Government, launched a €116 billion plan to “re-imagine Ireland” and prepare for the future.
Following a special Cabinet meeting at the Institute of Technology in Sligo, Project Ireland 2040 was unveiled – it aims to build for a future society that will have an extra one million people, plus an estimated 660,000 more people at work.
Project Ireland 2040 claims to offer a “radically different approach” to future planning by focusing not just on bricks and mortar, but on social, economic and cultural development.
The plan sets out to link planning and investment for the first time in Irish history and aims to balance rural and urban investment. It will also attempt to avoid “mistakes of the past”.
The vision for Dublin is that it must grow up – not out.
Project Ireland 2040 is underpinned by a 10-year €116 billion National Development Plan and aims to “Brexit-proof” the country – with particular attention being given to the border region.
Four new funds designed to stimulate renewal and investment in rural and urban areas, the environment and innovation have been announced as part of the plan.
There is also a significant focus on the environment, with €22 billion allocated to tackling and dealing with climate change across transport, energy and commercial State agencies.
An Taoiseach said: “This marks a significant milestone in our country’s development, the point at which we put a lost decade behind us and move forward into a new decade of expansion.
This is a plan for all our citizens – the old, the young, and the yet to be born, living in towns, in cities and in the countryside. It follows the spirit of Collins and Lemass, people who always strove to raise the prospects of every Irish citizen.
“It’s about ensuring that all parts of Ireland fulfill their potential. As we approach our 100th anniversary as a sovereign nation, it’s about investing to ensure our country is insulated against any possible challenges like Brexit. It’s a path to a positive, sustainable future.”
‘On the cusp of great change’
Commenting on the National Development Plan, the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD, said the plan will change how the country invests in public infrastructure in Ireland.
“It moves beyond the approach of the past, which saw public investment spread too thinly and investment decisions which didn’t align with a spatial strategy.
These practices contributed to some of the major issues that we, as a country, face today – particularly the predominance of Dublin in terms of economic growth, alongside the challenges facing rural communities.
Eoghan Murphy, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, said: “Ireland stands on the cusp of great change. In the next 20 years we will grow by an extra one million people.
“This is a challenge certainly, but it is also a great opportunity for a new generation to imagine, and implement, a shared vision for each community on this island.”