Vol. 520 No. 4
151 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has had considerations made into the failure to attract sufficient interest in tendering for the construction of the south eastern motorway; the implications of this for the implementation of the national development plan; and if there are any proposals to ensure that capacity constraints do not hinder attempts to overcome the infrastructural deficit. [15851/00]
While the construction of the south eastern motorway is a matter for the NRA, I understand that because of the limited response to the public advertisement seeking expressions of interest in pre-qualifying for the tendering process, the NRA is now proceeding to readvertise the contract.
The availability of cost effective construction industry capacity will be critical to the delivery of the infrastructure investment programmes provided for in the NDP. This issue is being considered by the Forum for the Construction Industry and is also being addressed by the cross-departmental team on infrastructural development. The forum made an interim report in December 1999 on construction industry capacity and is due to submit a final report at the end of July.
The commitment under the NDP to an identified programme of infrastructural investment over the forthcoming seven years will assist the construction industry to plan the expansion of its capacity, including through international partnerships, which will be necessary to deliver on this ambitious programme.
