Vol. 520 No. 2
9 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the latest analysis of Ireland's competitiveness published by the National Competitiveness Council on 26 May, which is mandated in its terms of reference to report to him on competitiveness matters. [15172/00]
The National Competitiveness Council published the third Annual Competitiveness Report on Friday 26 May. This monitors Ireland's competitiveness relevant to our main trading partners and competitors using a broad range of statistical indicators. The council also published the Competitiveness Challenge 2000 report which contains a series of recommendations to the Government on action required to maintain and improve competitiveness. These recommendations are presented within the framework of the seven priorities which the council has identified for its work – social partnership, people, costs, infrastructure, telecommunications and e-business, competition and regulation, and science and technology. The council has placed particular importance on swift and effective implementation of required changes and measures. In this regard, it has emphasised the importance of implementing the national development plan and accelerating the modernisation of the public service through the Strategic Management Initiative.
I have arranged for copies of both reports to be placed in the Oireachtas Library. The Government greatly appreciates the work and advice of the council and relevant Ministers will give careful consideration to its recommendations.
Is the Taoiseach aware of the great concern in the business community at the slowness of the Government in getting contracts for major parts of the national plan to the stage where they can be advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union? Is he aware there is concern that this will mean many of the projects will not start or be completed on time and may well, therefore, not be completed within the period of the Irish community support framework and may not attract the European aid to which they are entitled?
In most of the infrastructural areas we are talking about major contracts. Work is ongoing in the various Departments. Some projects are further advanced than others. Some in the roads area, the port tunnel, south-eastern motorway and completion of the southern ring are out to tender. The Kinnegad roads project will be put out shortly and a number of others, the Limerick bypass, the airport bypass and Dundalk to Drogheda will be put out this summer. Others are not as far advanced but the aim is to advance as many as possible because many of them will go to EU countries. We are doing everything we can to press the projects ahead.
Is the Taoiseach aware that there is concern that the National Roads Authority and the Government are taking the wrong approach in that they are doing much of the design work on the individual projects in-house in the National Roads Authority or on a subcontractor basis rather than putting out much larger bodies of work, including design, to the private sector in larger contracts instead of small, individual segments that are being prepared internally for issue to the Official Journal individually? Is the Taoiseach aware that there is a view in informed business circles that the Government would be better off putting out the entire job to the private sector? It would be done more quickly that way rather than what is happening at present.
I am so aware and the Deputy is aware of the conflicting arguments of the domestic industries on this issue. As regards the five major projects where external contractors and consultants will and are being used, discussions are taking place with the NRA. The Dublin-Galway, Dublin-Belfast, Dublin-Limerick, Dublin-Cork and Dublin-Waterford projects are being done as full blocks. Because of that and the fact that they will be in the EU Journal, it is highly probable those contracts will go outside. Our domestic industries would argue that this is not the way to do it but we will not get through this work nor will we comply with what was negotiated in Berlin if we do not do it in this way.
The Taoiseach is not doing it sufficiently.
The eastern bypass will cost £800 million and is a public-private partnership. The port tunnel and others are enormous projects. On the smaller ones, of which there are not many—
The Taoiseach did not mention Longford west.
I mentioned Kinnegad.
It is below Kinnegad.
That is an enormous contract but it is going as one lot. Because of labour constraints designers have been subcontracted from outside. It would be nice if that were not the case but it is necessary to do so if they are to be completed within the timescale.
That completes Taoiseach's Question Time. We now proceed to Questions nominated for priority.
