Yesterday the Government laid out their roadmap for Ireland over the next decade yesterday, in the 'National Development Plan'.
The plan outlines where exactly government will invest our taxpayers money up to and including 2030 - including major infrastructural projects, schemes, and funds, aimed at boosting the economy, while also combatting climate change.
The plan will see 165 billion euro spent by the State over the next decade on the likes of roads, housing and water infrastructure.
However, critics of the plan say it's a "cynical exercise", and have called it a political stunt, with a number of cornerstone projects published without a date of completion.
But what does it mean for the South-East?
Roads
Two new ring roads have been added to the plan, with one in Carlow and another in Thurles.
The Carlow Southern relief road has been included in the plan, having initially been approved by Carlow County Council on the 5th July 2004, over 17 years ago.
It will be constructed from the Éire Óg roundabout to the Ballinacarrig roundabout on the N80, which is expected to alleviate some of the daily traffic backlog in the Barrowside town. However there was no neighbours Kilkenny, who haven't seen their northern ring road scheme included in the plan.
Thurles will also see a relief road, which will go from the Mill Road to the Slievenamon Road, and should help traffic flow better in Liberty Square, whilst also allowing for a brand new entrance for Mary Immaculate College's Thurles campus.
✅ Cahill Secures Thurles Inner Relief Road Funding ✅
🚗 I have secured the inclusion of the Thurles Inner Relief Road in the National Development Plan, announced today.
‼️ Route: Mill Road ➡️ Slievenamon Rd.
👩🏼🎓 Allowing for a brand new entrance for @mic_stpats campus 1/7 pic.twitter.com/EV0qnI8C4B— Jackie Cahill TD (@jackiecahillff) October 4, 2021
A number of key routes have also been carried over from the previous development plan:
A major regional artery has once again been included on the list, with the N24 Limerick to Waterford road expected to see improvements in the coming decade.
Two sections, from Waterford to Cahir, and onwards to Limerick Junction, have been carried over from on the previous plan, but are both still far from their completion phase.
The first stretch, which includes major towns such as Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir, is still in the options selection stage, and it's not expected a decision from An Bórd Pleanála will be forthcoming for another four years, and then construction will begin shortly after that point.
The continuation to Limerick Junction is expected to hit that point slightly earlier - ahead of the end of 2024 - with a number of potential routes already on the cards, the most radical of which will completely bypass Tipperary Town, something which local TDs have been desperate to get done.
Another new road announcement is the upgrade of the N25 from Glenmore to Waterford, which should connect the Waterford bypass to the New Ross bypass, and cut down on traffic times.
However, some of these projects may not be completed within the plan's lifespan, with government sources saying that a "two-to-one" ratio in favour of public transport over roads would mean at least some of those projects would stall.
“The two-to-one ratio is very much carved into this NDP,’’ said a Government source. “There’s a commitment to BusConnects in Dublin and regional cities, regional rail, Dart Plus and MetroLink.”
Metrolink in the NDP.
“Date TBC” pic.twitter.com/mteOhZ32hB— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) October 4, 2021
Waterford
The Déise is expected to benefit the most from the plan, with the already-announced regeneration of Waterford city center receiving more than €27 million as part of the NDP, as well as a new railway station (approved under the NorthQuays project), bus corridors across the city, and a "sustainable transport bridge" which will connect both sides of the River Suir.
Waterford is also the only city in the region which is to benefit from the Government's new 'BusConnects' scheme, due to be 'substantially complete' by 2030 which includes the new corridors, as well as what the plan promises will "enhance the capacity and potential of the public transport system by increasing and replacing the bus fleets with low emission vehicles and introducing a new system of ticketing known as Next Generation Ticketing and cashless payments".
The plan has also mentioned the ongoing work to establish a Technological University for the South-East, saying "work is progressing to identify campus development needs...including an expanded campus footprint in Waterford and a new campus in Wexford".
I welcome the commitment in the National Development Plan #NDP for campus development needs for proposed Technological University for SE “including an expanded campus footprint in Waterford” @waterfordit @WACCchamber @ArenaWit @DvanChamber @wlrfm @ibec_irl pic.twitter.com/TvmIydUUEb
— Mary Butler TD (@MaryButlerTD) October 4, 2021
Speaking of the Model County, the 'Trinity Wharf' project has been included, which is hoped will be a game-changer for Wexford Town. The Wharf will include office spaces, hotels, a 'landmark' cultural and events building, 58 residential units and a multi-storey car park as well as a 64 berth marina, a new boardwalk linking Trinity Wharf with Paul Quay and the Crescent, new public realm spaces and an urban greenway.
A new Garda station in Clonmel has been announced as well as funding for training facilities at the Kilkenny Defence Forces Barracks as part of yesterday's plan, announced at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork.
Residents in Carlow and North Tipperary are also expected to benefit from a new Water Supply Project which will include a new water treatment plan at Birdhill, near the River Shannon. The project is expected to be completed by 2030, however already heavily asterisked.
The Clonmel Regional Water Supply scheme, which included the construction of a new reservoir and over 4 kilometres of new water mains, also got a name check as part of the plan.
