Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

At the moment it is at an all-time high. The first challenge is to maintain that level of public expenditure on capital projects and then, where appropriate, to increase it. We also need to spend it in the right areas. We have to ensure that the content of the national development plan is aligned with the priorities in the programme for Government. As members know they are in housing in particular and climate action measures. We have to ensure the national development plan is consistent with Project Ireland 2040. That is also a key requirement. Then when it comes to spending on individual projects, we have to ensure we are getting value for money. We are now in an era of significant construction inflation. We have introduced reforms that will come into effect in the period ahead whereby we are bringing in a major projects advisory group to support the work of my Department. We will also be advertising shortly in an open public competition for external members to join the Project Ireland 2040 delivery board so that they can complement the skills and experience of the Secretaries General who are currently serving on that board. We have updated the public spending code in recent times to strengthen the oversight of public spending. It is not always about the quantum. The quantum is important and will be ambitious. It will be confirmed in the new national development plan that we will publish in July. We will lay out what each Department will be getting for the next five years and, in addition, what the overall amount is out to 2030.

We will see a re-prioritisation in line with the programme for Government. That is appropriate because we are publishing a climate action plan shortly. We have the legislation before the House at this time. Binding five-year rolling carbon budgets are being introduced. We have to ensure all Government policy is pointing towards the achievement of those overall objectives. There is a great deal of work ahead but I am pleased with the progress we are making in respect of the review of the NDP. I know this is an issue the Deputy has taken a keen interest in and I welcome that. I hope that over the course of June we can complete the content and agree on what the ceilings are for the coming years. I am satisfied that it will match the ambition the IMF has called on us to meet.