Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy knows transport is a key priority in the context of the national development plan review we are establishing. It is going to receive a significant uplift in its overall allocation. It is for us to work with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on how we sequence that capital allocation over a series of years. There will not be an endless amount available, so we need to see what projects can be delivered over a period of years and sequence it accordingly. That is the work we are doing collaboratively with the Minister and clearly public transport infrastructure is a key priority in the broader national development plan.

The project-specific piece is a matter that we will be able to provide greater detail on in the aftermath of the national development plan review and what the allocations will be. For now it is about identifying the key strategic areas, allocating accordingly and trying to sequence delivery. In previous national development plans, we have had capital tied to projects that were in endless delays and then trade-offs and choices were not made on prioritising other projects that could have moved more quickly. We need to see what is deliverable and when and prioritise capital allocations accordingly. That informs the broader allocation of how capital will work through the new national development plan.