Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The total sum involved in the plan is €42 billion, of which €27 billion will be directly allocated by the State from Exchequer funding. Semi-States such as the ESB will spend money on energy development. Ervia and Irish Water will spend €4 billion. Just €500 million of the €42 billion in question will involve additional public private partnerships. I am mindful of what the Deputy has said about such partnerships. I agree that we must get value for money and I have set up a new regime to ensure that we do get it. We are vigorous in ensuring that is the case. When we had no money at all following the collapse of the economy, we were seeking any resources we could get. For example, we sought funding from the European Investment Bank. Public private partnerships were an option at that time, but they will be less of an option into the future. It is clear in the plan that I have set an annual cap of 10% on the total capital expenditure to be used to pay back all public private partnerships. I refer to the unitary payments we have agreed, including the site preparation payments, etc. There is a cap on what we will use for these purposes. I will answer the Deputy's final question when I come back in.

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