The chief executive of one of the State's biggest building companies, Mr Finn Lyden is very sceptical of the Finance Minister Mr Cowen's pledge to spend €6.3 billion on infrastructure in 2005.
He points out that the Government is going to fall €237 million short of this year's target, with the result that that will be carried over into 2005.
Mr Lyden argues when you subtract that €237 million from next year's projected infrastructure spend, the total allocation comes to 4.5 per cent of gross national product, 0.5 per cent less than the 5 per cent annual spend that former finance minister, Mr Charlie McCreevy promised last year.
"If they do spend €6.3 billion that will be very good for the industry and for the country as a whole," he says. "But my concern is that he would spend less than the €6.3 billion."
He argues that the real problem is that there are delays in getting projects to the construction stage in the first place.
Mr Lyden says that the Critical Infrastructure Bill, which was meant to address these problems, has itself been delayed. He argues that getting this legislation, or a similar measure, through the Oireachtas, is vital to ensuring that the Government can deliver on its infrastructure spending pledge.
