Four out of five adults say more public funding should be allocated to investment in regions outside of Dublin. This is according to a survey of more than 1,000 adults in Ireland carried out by Censuswide on behalf of Esri Ireland.
The research shed more light on people’s perceptions of infrastructure planning where they live. Taking population and existing infrastructure into account, half of respondents say that housing is poorly planned in their area, while it also emerged that 53% believe that public transport options are lacking in their local area. The majority (65%) agree that more investment is needed to improve cycling infrastructure.
On a more positive note, 65% also say schools and colleges are well planned in their locality, making it the best planned area of infrastructure ahead of public parks and playgrounds (64%) and retail and shopping developments (59%).
In terms of broadband infrastructure, almost one-quarter (24%) are dissatisfied with internet speeds in their area. While the National Broadband Plan seeks to deliver a high-speed broadband network to provide equal access to all, just 45% of adults in Ireland believe the project will be a success.
The research shows that many believe Ireland is lagging behind other countries in key areas such as transport and health infrastructure. In comparison to European counterparts, 55% of adults say that Ireland’s public transport network is worse. With regard to access to hospitals and emergency services, 43% say we are behind while 36% say we are on par with other European countries.
Commenting on the research, Managing director at Esri Ireland, Paul Synnott said, "By 2040, it is estimated that there will be roughly an extra one million people living in Ireland, requiring hundreds of thousands of new jobs, new homes and new cultural and social amenities. Project Ireland 2040 seeks to guide a sustainable and strategic approach to preparing and investing for this future, but based on results from this survey, it would seem that there is disconnect in how Government is communicating its long term strategy to the general public."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
