Speech by the Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern TD
at the Launch of the National Development Plan: 2007-2013
in Dublin Castle on Tuesday, 23 January 2007
Introduction
Today is an occasion of no small significance as we set important foundations for the next phase of our country's development. There is no doubt that this National Development Plan, Transforming Ireland - A Better Quality of Life for All, represents another milestone on what has been an extraordinary journey of sustained national achievement and during which time it has been my great privilege to serve as an active participant in our vibrant public life, not least of course in my capacity as Taoiseach.
While today is not a day to dwell on the past, the dramatic extent of our progress, both economic and social, warrants appropriate acknowledgement and informs the level of ambition we set for ourselves as we look to the future.
It is perhaps too easily overlooked that, in the short space of only two decades, we have escaped an invidious legacy of involuntary emigration, joblessness, inflation and high taxation ? while effectively doubling to well over two million the number of people now engaged in productive employment. This transformation has delivered the standing we now enjoy as a dynamic, prosperous and high-participation economy at the very vanguard of the globalisation era; a location offering unrivalled attractiveness to investor and worker alike; and a success story which continues to unfold as both a model for others and the envy of our international peers.
It is no exaggeration to assert that we are at a point in our national history where we have never been able to see more clearly the possibility of our full potential. And we should aim to settle for nothing less.
Investing in Our Future
It is clear that success brings with it new challenges and opportunities. But it is success also which equips us with the capacity and resolve to meet these new challenges and opportunities most effectively. That is why, today, we are launching a plan involving some €184 billion - a scale of investment for the next seven years that is without precedent.
But unprecedented as it is, this investment is also essential to help us meet emerging challenges. We will continue to build on the substantial progress we are making in delivering a quality of physical infrastructure that is appropriate to our evolving twenty-first century needs.
In recent years we have seen remarkable progress, particularly in transport infrastructure. Whether it is the LUAS, the DART upgrade, improvements in inter-city train services, the Port Tunnel, or progress in creating motorways and dual-carriageways linking Dublin and the regions, the evidence is plain.
Over the next seven years, we will build on that evidence. Completion of the primary routes, the M50 upgrade, the Atlantic Corridor, the Western Rail Corridor, the Metro and extension of the LUAS network are just some of the elements of our exciting but necessary Transport 21 programme.
This new National Development Plan will also see a new deployment of resources in supporting the productive capacity of our enterprise sector, equipping it to compete effectively in an increasingly knowledge-intensive and interconnected global economy. At a point in our national development where future prosperity has never been more dependent on unlocking the talents of each and every citizen, we are reinforcing the emphasis on skills and training to ensure adaptability to the accelerated change we face.
Value for Money
The ambition driving this plan builds also, of course, on the significant progress that we have made in strengthening our capacity for the delivery of national infrastructure in terms of time and cost. Management of all programmes and projects will be subject to the enhanced "value-for-money" frameworks now in place, including measurement and appraisal of performance by reference to clear output indicators.
The cumulative impact of these measures is clearly one of improved management of public capital programmes, as recognised by the ESRI and others, leading to most projects now coming in within budget and ahead of schedule - reflected not least in the delivery of the national roads programme overseen by the NRA. This pursuit of value for money for the taxpayer will continue to be a top priority throughout the lifetime of this plan, and Minister Cowen will no doubt elaborate further on this point.
Interdependence of economic and social aims.
This unprecedented level of investment in our future is also anchored in a new and unequivocal emphasis on supporting sustainable improvements to our quality of life. Key to this sustainability will be the deepening appreciation of the strong interdependence between our social, economic and environmental goals, while agreeing our national priorities in the light of what is of greatest importance to us over the longer term.
It is this perspective which informs the groundbreaking 10-year framework agreement we concluded with the social partners last year in Towards 2016. And it is this constructive, participatory and problem-solving approach to managing change which will guide the ambitious range of investments we are now undertaking ? set in the context of our agreed national frameworks for balanced regional development, all-island co-operation, and the protection of the environment.
In this context, this National Development Plan places more emphasis on social investment than ever before. I want to emphasise that almost half of the overall spend under this plan is earmarked for social infrastructure and social inclusion priorities, strengthening our capacity to adjust from the old to the new, while ensuring that those most vulnerable in society to the pressures of change are appropriately supported and protected.
More than €33.6 billion is earmarked for developing our social infrastructure across a range of areas including housing; hospitals; primary care facilities, particularly for our older people; sports and cultural facilities; and the Gardaí.
In addition, to tackle social exclusion, over €50 billion will be invested in childcare, education, services for people with a disability, home and community healthcare, integration of newcomers to Ireland and community development.
In parallel, we will ensure that resources are targeted on the most disadvantaged urban, rural, Gaeltacht and Island communities.
Our new social policy framework is based on careful analysis by the National Economic and Social Council and endorsed by the social partners in Towards 2016. This plan, and the National Action Plan on Social Inclusion which will be published next month, provide a roadmap of investment priorities to flesh-out a new approach, based on people's needs at each stage of their lifecycle. This will enable us to help children reach their true potential; provide support to people of working age since employment provides the main path out of poverty; and support older people to maintain a comfortable and high-quality standard of living.
Our approach recognises that economic and social progress do not just complement each other ? they depend on each other. For example, helping people back into work reduces poverty and sustains economic growth. That is why we have set a target of helping 50,000 people from long-term social welfare into education, training and employment.
The achievement of these goals will require service delivery that is accessible, flexible and focused on the needs of the individual. This focus on delivery requires an openness to change and requires Departments and organisations to work together effectively to overcome traditional barriers to co-operation. We will work to implement our social policy framework in this way, again ensuring value for the money invested under this plan.
North/South Co-Operation
The publication of this plan comes at a pivotal moment in the history of relationships on our island. Since the Good Friday Agreement, we have seen a transformation of society in Northern Ireland and an unprecedented period of economic and social progress in the Republic. It is no coincidence that with peace has come prosperity and a better society.
Peace and reconciliation remain at the centre of the Government's strategies and policies for the future. This Plan will help us to the next stage on that journey.
It sets out a comprehensive overview of all-island co-operation. And for the first time, it sets out proposals for significant investment in new North/South projects. These will benefit every single person living on this island.
We are looking to the future. As we move away from the horrors and conflict of the past, we want to make this island a better place to live for the generations to come. We want to do so in partnership and in agreement with the British Government and a restored Northern Ireland Executive. We will show, yetagain, that democratic politics works for all of the people.
Concluding Remarks
I said at the outset that today is an occasion of no small significance. I hope that, when you see the full scale of what is encompassed by this plan, you will recognise the validity of this viewpoint and see that we are genuinely on a mission to transform Ireland and deliver a better quality of life for all.
Go raibh míle maith agaibh.