Mr. David Moloney:

We are doing a short review of the public spending code in the context of the national development plan. The single most effective way to address the delays the Deputy referenced is to carry out external independent scrutiny of project proposals within the planning and appraisal stage in order that clarity in the design and in what is being done facilitates the type of project the Deputy referenced being done in shorter timelines. We have put in place a framework under which Departments can appoint external assurers which we believe will substantially reduce timelines in some places. Reviews take six weeks and can be done in parallel to other parts of the project inputs. Our experience is that clarity about what needs to be done and how it needs to be done, which the Deputy referenced, is often missing.