A Clare estate agent insists the town of Ennis won’t grow without critical investment in water and wastewater infrastructure.
It comes in the wake of comments from the Finance Minister, who’s defended the Government’s proposed 9.4 billion euro spending package for next year, following criticism from the Central Bank.
The Central Bank has this week warned the Government its spending plans for budget day aren’t necessary.
It says the 9.4 billion euro package is ‘too large’ and may have a negative impact on the public finances down the line.
The Finance Minister is defending the government’s spending plans though. Minister Paschal Donohoe says he respects the bank’s position, but remains confident.
A Clare economist believes the Government is in a “fiscal fiction” position, where it continues to spend far more than it’s taking in, when the “magic money” arriving from multinationals is taken into account.
Assistant Professor of Social Policy at UCD, Ennis man Micheál Collins believes this money will eventually dry up, so next month’s budget will have to focus on priorities.
The Central Bank has also said it expects 32,500 homes to be built across the country this year, which is far below the Government’s own target of 41,000 and estimates from the likes of Davy Stockbrokers of a 93,000 requirement.
However, one Clare Estate Agent doesn’t believe even the lower figure is achievable, given severe infrastructural deficits.
Diarmuid Mc Mahon of Sherry Fitzgerald McMahon believes we may have shot ourselves in the foot as a country, when we decided against water rates, saying Irish water and sewerage is the biggest hamstring to the growth of housing in this country at the moment.
He insists that neither the town of Ennis, nor anywhere else in the country can grow, if wastewater infrastructure isn’t prioritised.
You can listen to the full interview here:
