The Irish Planning Institute (IPI) has welcomed the Government’s new Capital Plan but warned that work on the successor to the National Spatial Strategy must proceed urgently to properly coordinate infrastructure funding and long term strategic growth.

Discussing the announcement IPI President Mary Hughes said “Funding for the key areas of flood protection, transport, rural development, social housing and schools is welcome but it must be directed to projects in strategic locations that are earmarked for economic and residential growth. We need to avoid the situation where we fund large infrastructure in the wrong place. National spatial planning policy can provide a clear roadmap for where growth will happen and this funding envelope must be aligned with the urgently required National Planning Framework, succeeding the National Spatial Strategy.”