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The two big unspoken threats to Ireland’s competitiveness

Power and water will pose problems for development, while council to press ahead with radical overhaul of Dublin city traffic

Traffic on the south quays in Dublin City centre. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien

Sun Feb 11 2024 - 08:25

Attracting big investors to Ireland is typically framed by a discussion on skills, tax and access to the European Union marketplace. But more prosaic things are also vital. Cliff Taylor writes that two of the problems going under the radar in Ireland are power and water.

“Already, because of the pressure on the electricity grid, parts of the east coast are close to being off-limits for big, new energy-consuming projects such as large manufacturers or data centres, where special considerations apply. Meanwhile, water supply is also causing complications and will become a big constraint within the next five years or so in the wider Dublin region, unless action is taken.

“With a general election looming, the risk now is that any controversial infrastructure projects – and most of them are – will be put on hold for the rest of this year. And yet more time will be lost.”

An ambitious plan for Dublin traffic

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If nobody is talking about Dublin’s issues around power and water, everyone seems to be talking about the coming traffic changes in the city centre. The Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, which was presented to city councillors on Wednesday, aims to stop motorists from driving “through” instead of “to” Dublin city. Two out of every three cars currently using the city streets do not have the centre as their destination, according to Dublin City Council.

The plan will aim to block these motorists by limiting parts of the north and south quays to public transport only and by introducing a series of civic plazas and restrictions on where traffic can turn. Dublin Editor Olivia Kelly has been reporting on the subject all week and wrote that “the plan is potentially the most transformative initiative for improving public transport efficiency in the city since the introduction of bus lanes, and with uncommon resolve Dublin City Council seems determined to implement it.” There has been a lot of reaction to the plan, with Guinness brewer Diageo urging the council not to block its “historic” route to Dublin Port by removing its lorries from the north and south quays, while Jack Power spoke to some businesses in the city centre who had mixed feelings. Olivia runs through how the plan is supposed to work here and exactly how the changes will impact drivers.

An editorial in Wednesday’s paper argued that with more than 80 per cent of submissions supporting the plan, “the council has been given a clear direction; Dubliners want a more pleasant, more accessible city. It is time to get on and implement this plan.”

Ireland in action in Six Nations

This afternoon, Ireland take on Italy in Dublin in their second match of the Six Nations. Andy Farrell made six changes to the side from the France match, but Joe McCarthy kept his place after a storming opening round in Marseille. Gerry Thornley spoke to some of the 22-year-old’s school coaches about his meteoric rise to the Test team and what may lie ahead for him. Meanwhile, Nathan Johns had a look at Italy and the weaknesses Ireland will look to exploit while Matt Williams writes that the only way Ireland can be undone is if they show disrespect to their Italian opponents and take them as already beaten. On our new rugby podcast, Gordon D’Arcy spoke to his former team-mate Felipe Contepomi during the week, while in the Counter Ruck newsletter (sign up here), Gerry wonders if the URC are missing a trick by not playing more often during the Six Nations window.

A mixed week for Sinn Féin

The other big story of the week was the return of the Stormont Executive. Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill took up the role of First Minister, the first nationalist to do so. Our correspondents in the North outline the key challenges facing the new administration, among them a crisis in the health service and a major row over public sector pay, which led to a strike of historic proportion last month.

However, in less encouraging news for Sinn Féin, an Irish Times/Ipsos B&A poll this week recorded a six-point slump in support for the party in the Republic. It remains the best supported party in the country but the shine appears to have gone off it in rural Ireland, while Una Mullally argues that a lack of a clear vision for Dublin is hurting the party in the capital. The poll series also highlighted a lack of knowledge among the public about the upcoming referendums and that the majority of voters want a ’more closed’ immigration policy.

Finally, a word on John Bruton. On Wednesday, much of the Dáil proceedings were given over to tributes to the former taoiseach, led by his brother Richard. Jennifer Bray wrote about the big moments of the former Fine Gael leader’s long career, while Stephen Collins wrote that he was frequently misrepresented by opponents and the media and that “it can truly be said that he did the State some service”. Bruton’s State funeral was held yesterday in Dunboyne and in a speech at the graveside in Rooske Cemetery, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Bruton was a “statesman of unshakeable integrity and moral conviction who led our country with distinction at home and on the world stage”.

As always, there is much more on irishtimes.com, including rundowns of all the latest movies in our film reviews, tips for the best restaurants in our food section and all the latest in sport. There are plenty more articles exclusively available for Irish Times subscribers here. In this week’s On the Money newsletter, Joanne Hunt examines the better returns on savings available if you send your money abroad. Sign up here to receive the newsletter straight to your inbox every Friday.

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