An expert in public private financing has warned Ireland will miss out on major investment in infrastructure unless authories can provide a flow of deals.

Roger Alexander, head of the European Project Finance at international accountancy firm Mazars said: "Today Dublin is hosting a major all-island conference on infrastructural investment which is being attended by many of the key stakeholders of Public Private Partnerships in Europe, but we are in danger of many of these investors looking elsewhere unless we can provide a greater level of certainty about a flow of projects."

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European investors are becoming frustrated at the lack of certainty about future deals and their structure. Mazars believes if investors don't have certainty they will go elsewhere.

Over the next 18 months projects include the reform of school and third-level education PPP projects, the National Concert Hall PPP, the Abbey Theatre PPP and social housing PPP's in the Republic as well as the Ulster Hospital and waste projects in Northern Ireland.

Mr Alexander said Ireland has to compete and provide that required level of certainty.

He added that with the slowdown in the economy, this is the perfect opportunity for the public sector to release the resources to deliver investment in public assets and achieve optimum value for money.

(GK/JM)