ANALYSIS: For many decades, the key constraint on economic development in this country was our undeveloped industrial sector. However, the rapid rate of industrial expansion of the past decade tackled this deficit, resulting in a doubling of economic output.
But it also threw up fresh problems of major infrastructural constraints in transport, energy, environment and housing, as well as some skills shortages.
Traffic congestion arose from increased car ownership and massively expanded commercial vehicle fleets.
Our electricity network reached capacity and stand-by generators had to be imported last winter.
And the rapid growth in population, allied to higher environmental standards, created the need for investment in water, sewage and solid waste treatment facilities.
Developments in IT generated demands for a broadband network throughout the regions to enable them to attract modern industry.
Meanwhile, congestion in Dublin was accentuated by a continuing eastwards drift of the population.
The substantial growth of manufacturing and internationally traded service industries has been dominated by the high-tech sectors, which require increasing numbers of engineers drawn from a wide range of disciplines, ranging from civil to biomedical to software.
The Institution of Engineers of Ireland is engaged in an active programme to promote engineering as a career, with support from industry and Government.
Meanwhile, the pace of economic and industrial change continues to accelerate. We must continue to produce higher added-value products and services, and we must continue our climb up the international value-added ladder, and play an ever-increasing role in the global industrial community.
The Republic has been well served by the IDA in attracting mobile international investment.
But its efforts must be complemented by ensuring a world-class infrastructure. Otherwise we risk losing investment projects to other EU member-states and to the aspirant member-states in central and eastern Europe.
Sustaining the momentum of the National Development Plan (NDP) is vital to the global competitiveness of this State. Indeed, a number of major infrastructural projects have emerged since the NDP was formulated; the need to improve infrastructure never stops.
These include the extension of the natural gas pipeline from the Corrib Field to Galway, with links to Dublin and Limerick, and from Gormanstown to Derry; the construction of the second gas interconnector to Scotland; the construction of a Dublin metro system; the construction of the Eastern Bypass of Dublin to link the port southwards to the M50; and the expansion of Dublin Airport.
In its first two years, the National Development Plan's considerable progress has been made on national road upgrading, water and sewage treatment plants, and building new electricity stations.
The adoption of a public-private partnership approach to infrastructure development has proved remarkably effective in the Republic, as it has in many other countries within the EU, and doubts about the country's capacity to physically deliver the programme are being put to rest.
It is essential also that the planning and statutory processes that must be fulfilled prior to the award of contracts should continue unabated so that, when the public finances further improve, additional projects can be implemented quickly.
The National Spatial Strategy, due to be published this year, will also require substantial investment in infrastructure in the selected regional gateway centres, intended to improve the regional balance of economic activity and job creation throughout the country.
These new centres will each need sufficient housing; quality roads; access to railways, ports and airports; a high-voltage electricity supply; broadband telecommunications; a natural gas supply; an adequate supply of water and waste water treatment facilities; and third-level education outlets.
• Liam Connellan is president of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland
