Cabinet to discuss draft national plan

Draft new national development plan will be given to Ministers today at a day-long Cabinet meeting designed to clear outstanding…

Draft new national development plan will be given to Ministers today at a day-long Cabinet meeting designed to clear outstanding Government business before the summer break.

The document outlines plans for spending on infrastructure and human resource development for the period 2000-2006.

Ministers will not make final decisions until September on the national plan, being prepared in the light of the expected lower level of EU funding.

It must be submitted to the European Commission by the end of September, although an extension of the deadline is considered possible.

READ MORE

With lower transfers from Brussels in the pipeline, the plan is expected to allow for much greater Exchequer spending on infrastructure than in the past, as well as the creation of partnerships between the public and private sector for transport, communications and other projects.

Today's meeting will also be given a preliminary assessment of the likely Exchequer figures governing the budget to be delivered towards the end of the year by the Minister for Finance.