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The David McWilliams Podcast

Can Ireland Fix Its Infrastructure Crisis Before It's Too Late?

Season 2024, Ep. 68
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In this episode, we're kicking off with a classic Irish disaster—a ladder, a man, and gravity having a scrap, but then we're diving deep into something even more painful than a sprained ankle: Ireland's shocking inability to build anything on time or on budget. We're talking about the Children's Hospital fiasco, the never-ending MetroLink saga, and why, despite having buckets of cash, our state just can’t get the job done. But here’s the kicker: while Ireland is dragging its feet, places like Serbia are throwing up high-speed rail links in a few years, all thanks to the Chinese. And it’s not just them. Italy and Spain have cracked the code on getting infrastructure done without bankrupting the country. So, is it time we swallow our pride, bring in the experts, and let the Italians or Chinese sort out our mess? Maybe it’s time to accept that while we’re world-class at building pubs, we might need a little help with building, well, everything else. Let’s get into it!


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