Mr. Garret Doocey:

I thank the Deputy for highlighting that issue. It speaks to the Deputy's own points that he raised generally in his contribution on the frustrations around the timeline. It also speaks to Mr. Spratt’s points around what the public spending code and the revised public spending code are seeking to guard against. There were huge, phenomenal responses to both of the emerging preparatory consultation back in 2018 and 2019. They raised complex issues about design, local community engagement, etc. They required a considerable amount of time to reflect upon and revise for the design and route at that time. They changed considerably, as we are all aware, from the emerging preferred route to the preferred route. Clearly, in retrospect, those dates were not feasible. They were missed, if the Deputy wants to put it that way.

Details in the case of the revised public spending code rose in December 2019, as Mr. Spratt introduced and spoke about. That seeks through its decision gate mechanism to ensure that we get a lot better, again as Mr. Spratt mentioned, about ensuring that we are making the right calls at the right time. The timings are fundamental. The Deputy acknowledged that when he said they were hugely significant. Decision gate 1 is imminent. That will allow the project to move into the planning system. That will be a massive step forward for this project. Once it is in the planning system, there is no fixed date around the time that it needs to come out of the planning system. It will need to get past decision gate 3 at the end of that approval to proceed. At that decision gate, that will be the time we go to Government and set out the exact details, such as what we think budgetary envelope for the project will be at that particular time, taking into account the changes that may be required in the planning process, the delivery schedule, and also the benefits realisation. At that point, then, measurement will start about whether we are on track or off track in the construction phase.

Clearly, now, the real focus on a departmental level is to complete a review of the preliminary business case. At a project level, there are still outstanding issues. This is a huge, massive, complex project. It is likely the largest ever public investment project in the history of the State. There are still issues at a project level about closing out the necessary planning and environmental documentation to allow them to be ready to enter the planning system. There is, therefore, a massive emphasis and focus on a departmental level and at an agency level to get this through decision gate 1 and into the planning system. That is the core focus right now.