THE GOVERNMENT earlier officially published it’s €39.43bn programme for capital expenditure and investment over the next six years.

The 131-page document (PDF link) is heavy reading – so here’s our handy takeaway stats.

• Every €1m of investment is expected to generate between 8 and 12 jobs – meaning the entire investment will create between 315,000 and 475,000 posts over six years
• The Department of Transport will get the lion’s share of the fund with €12.17bn – or about 32.3% – of the investment.
• The Deprtment of Environment, Heritage and Local Government also does well, with €8.5bn (22.7%) of the cash.
• The other departments to do well are:
  • Education and Skills (€4.2bn / 11.2%),
  • Enterprise, Trade and Innovation (€3.79bn / 10.0%)
  • Health & Children (€2.89bn / 2.2%).
• The transport projects being prioritised are the ‘Major Inter Urban-Routes’ – motorways between Dublin and Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, the N11 and the Atlantic Route Corridor
• The Metro North is saved, as is the Luas Interconnector route – the report says they were an important part of the Programme for Government
• The Dublin-Navan rail link and the Western Rail Corridor, connecting Tuam to Claremorris, are on hold
• In health, the priorities include a new children’s hospital, a new cardiac and renal unit in Cork, and the redevelopment of the Mater
• In education, €3bn will do on upgrading primary and secondary schools, with €650 in third level
• Tender values are about 30% down on their peak, meaning that the money will go further than it would have a few years ago

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