Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I note Mr. Spratt said the Minister was very anxious to come before the committee. I will very much hold him to that. It is extremely disappointing the Minister could not make it today. I note some other Ministers are attending meetings, so the message needs to go back to the Minister that we are in discussions through the clerk. We need him to appear before the committee for the review of the national development plan, NDP. It has to happen, so I ask Mr. Spratt to bring that message back as it is very important to us. I note the Minister's commitment, but we need him to appear before the committee.

I want to discuss the review of the NDP. Mr. Spratt sent the committee two letters, the first on 18 February and the second on 23 February. The committee had asked Mr. Spratt about the review mechanism for the NDP and how it had changed. I draw his attention to the second paragraph on page five of the letter dated 18 February. It reads:

The public consultation on draft NIFTI [the national investment framework for transport in ireland] is expected to launch in the coming months, with publication of the final framework to follow in Q2 or Q3. However, the framework is sufficiently progressed to have played an important role in the Department’s engagement with the NDP Review to date. The Department and its agencies are considering investment with reference to the four priorities and two hierarchies, as well as in relation to the 10 wider National Strategic Outcomes.

That national investment framework for transport in Ireland is to replace the current strategic investment framework for land transport which went out to public consultation in August 2014 and was approved by Cabinet on 15 April 2015. Does the national investment framework for transport in Ireland require approval from Cabinet before it can be regarded as the document to look at projects under the NDP?

Furthermore, Mr. Spratt's response in the letter we received today appears to contradict what he said in the letter of 18 February.

It reads:

Pending public consultation and finalisation of NIFTI, the investment hierarchies are not currently being applied as a requirement of transport project development. If the final version of NIFTI keeps the hierarchies in a similar form to the draft framework, the updated CAF will detail what the future requirement to consider apply the hierarchies in project development will entail. For current purposes, as part of the NDP Review, the use of the hierarchies is simply to capture similar information in a consistent way for a diverse range of projects across the land transport sector.

What is the current status of the strategic investment framework for land transport approved by Cabinet on 15 April 2015? What is the current status of the draft investment framework for transport in Ireland that is to replace it? Has a steering group been established and who is on it? I note the steering group for the previous strategic investment framework for land transport had among its members Mr. Dominic Mullaney who is with Mr. Spratt today. When was it set up and what were its findings? When is it going out to public consultation? Will it require Cabinet approval?

I note the NDP is currently under review and it is hoped to have it finalised in the summer. We could have a situation where the NDP is finalised prior to the national investment framework for transport in Ireland going out to public consultation, being finalised or being approved by Cabinet. What is the status of the strategic investment framework for land transport document approved by Cabinet on 15 April 2015? What is the status of the national investment framework for transport in Ireland? Does it require Cabinet approval before it becomes part of the process by which the Department of Transport reviews projects under the NDP?

These are technical questions, but Mr. Spratt will appreciate that they are critical to how the NDP will look in the context of projects, the changes under the reviews and the hierarchies. It is quite a different document. Can Mr. Spratt talk about both documents?