The National Development Plan is central to solving the inflation crisis, according to Small Firms' Association chairman, Mr Kieran Crowley.

In an address to the association's annual conference in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin, today, he says the NDP must be delivered efficiently and without delay if adverse economic consequences are to be avoided.

"In the light of our current inflationary problems its delivery on time and within cost is imperative."

Mr Crowley maintains that efficient delivery of the NDP would help relieve the housing crisis, speed up the provision of roads and public transport, and make Ireland a more effective place for investment and productivity.

"The plan is central to maintaining our competitive position," says Mr Crowley.

He highlights the traffic problem as one of the greatest barriers to competitive business in Ireland.

He contends that road traffic is increasing travel-to-work times, exacerbating bottlenecks in the movement of goods through ports and effectively eroding the competitive edge of business.