A worthy plan but can they really deliver?

THE National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework announced on Friday are ambitious and desirable, with €116bn earmarked to ensure the country continues to deliver housing, healthcare and other services to a population expected to grow by over one million in the next two decades.

The problem is that we do not have a good record on delivery. The National Spatial Strategy announced by Bertie Ahern was supposed to devolve economic power to the regions by 2010 but it was one of the casualties of the recession, and a stark reminder that any plan can be undermined by unexpected events.

Basing the spend on a low growth forecast of 2% is sensible, yet even that conservative approach might find itself hostage to fortune. In the near future, we will see Brexit, and the final Budget with the approval of Fianna Fáil and, very likely, a general election next year.

Already, there are cracks that might undermine the confidence-and-supply agreement. For many in rural Ireland, lifting the cap on rural housing makes no sense if tiny quotas for new-builds are imposed. Apparently sensitive to criticism of a two-speed economy, Mr Varadkar tried to pre-empt it by saying the plan should not be seen as a divisive salvo in an urban-versus-rural battle.

He should not be surprised if that is how it is perceived. Already, rural Ireland in crippled by the lack of high-speed broadband, which is as important to a modern economy as motorways and light rail.

There are key problems with the plan. It is long on aspiration but light on detail and we need to know more about the timetable. What can we expect next year, at the turn of the decade, and up to 2025, for instance? If the money starts to dissipate, tribal and local political interests could easily take hold.

The Government has set out its stall. Delivering is what matters now.