They're buying a donkey!

luckat

....and maybe even a cart, if the budget stretches:

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/10/12/story225060.html

Minister hails plans for transport system
12/10/2005 - 11:26:37

A soon-to-be-published 10-year plan will ensure Ireland has a world-class, 21st Century public transport and road infrastructure, a Government minister claimed today.

Transport chief Martin Cullen said that having delivered on the ambition of making Ireland one of the most income-rich countries in the world, the Government is now focusing its efforts on building a public wealth.

“As one of the world’s greatest economies, Ireland deserves such a comprehensive and radical investment programme,” he said.

“Moreover, we need this programme if our new international status is to be maintained and enhanced.”

Mr Cullen said that after careful analysis of the likely needs of the Irish transport system in the decades that lie ahead, the Government was now finalising its proposals to overhaul the country’s public infrastructure.

He said the delivery of the proposals, which will be published within weeks, will be closely monitored to ensure value for taxpayers’ money.

“As the Minister for Transport who is charged with bringing about an unprecedented transformation of our infrastructure, I have a responsibility to ensure that the value of new infrastructure exceeds its cost,” he said.

“Taxpayers have the fundamental right to be confident that their funds are allocated to those projects which deliver the greatest returns to the economy and to society as a whole.

“As part of the 10-year roll-out process, I will be demanding reports on its implementation which highlight progress against time and financial budgets.

“I will be publishing those reports on a very regular basis as they are made available to me.

“Such high-quality information flow will allow us to monitor the implementation of the plan and to move to correct problems if they arise.

“In so doing, I will seek to ensure that taxpayers get full value for their funds. Responsible management of the nation’s resources deserves nothing less.”

Mr Cullen said the plan’s array of projects will affect every part of the state through dramatic improvements to the road, air and rail networks but the plan’s impact on Dublin will be most concentrated and complex.

“That is an inevitability given the relative weight of the Greater Dublin region in terms of both population and economic activity,” he said.

“I have already indicated my view that the scale and complexity of the plan’s provisions for Dublin and its hinterland will require special institutional arrangements and I hope to bring forward proposals in that regard shortly.”

hawkmoon269

Ah yes, another month, another breathless announcement from Minister Cullen.

Wake me up in 2010. They might have decided on something by then. Or maybe not.

seamus

Wow. How can a man say so much, yet actually say nothing?

spacetweek

hawkmoon269 wrote:

Ah yes, another month, another breathless announcement from Minister Cullen.

Wake me up in 2010. They might have decided on something by then. Or maybe not.

If Cullen had a real understanding of the infrastructure deficit in this country and the urgency of its improvement, he would have started on it ages ago. It's now a 9 year transport plan with the first year wasted.

John R

seamus wrote:

Wow. How can a man say so much, yet actually say nothing?

Remember the last thing he said with substance was "here's the cheque for those wonderful e-voting machines"

Incedentally I have a meeting with him next week about a revolutionary transport plan I have devised for Dublin so expect a major announcement shortly. I am confident he is the right man to push ahead with my great plan.


Monorail here we go!!!

strassenwolf

Monorail? Ha.

I'm sure he'll be much more impressed with my plan for a MagLev line to the airport. I'd say that is a shoo-in for funding.

hawkmoon269

strassenwolf wrote:

Monorail? Ha.

I'm sure he'll be much more impressed with my plan for a MagLev line to the airport. I'd say that is a shoo-in for funding.

Actually, Sydney has a mono-rail encircling the main points of interest in the city centre. Though largely aimed at tourists, it is also a handy way for residents to get about the city centre.

It occurs to me that a mono rail encircling our key points of interest in Dublin might actually not be a terribly bad idea.

However, such visionary thinking is folly in Ireland, where even reasonable schemes tend to be put in the back burner for aeons, then either scrapped or finally implemented in much reduced form (witness the LUAS. Or even the abortive 'Bertie Bowl' project').

Reaver772

Monorail + Irish Government = An episode of the Simpsons.

"And that was the only folly the people of Springfield ever embarked upon. Except for the popsicle stick skyscraper. And the 50-foot magnifying glass. And that escalator to nowhere."

*Replace Springfield with Ireland

murphaph

Reaver772 wrote:

Monorail + Irish Government = An episode of the Simpsons.

"And that was the only folly the people of Springfield ever embarked upon. Except for the popsicle stick skyscraper. And the 50-foot magnifying glass. And that escalator to nowhere."

*Replace Springfield with Ireland

...and replace popsicle stick skyscraper with Dublin Spire, 50-foot magnifying glass with e-voting machines and escalator to nowhere with M3 Motorway!