Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In my role as Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at a departmental level. I do not have a direct role in respect of project selection. Decisions on how departmental allocations are invested and what projects are selected are matters in the first instance for my ministerial colleagues. I can, however, inform the Deputy that capital expenditure allocations by ministerial Vote group for the years 2018 to 2022 were published in the first annexe of the national development plan, NDP, and these allocations remain valid. Capital expenditure will increase by €1.5 billion between 2018 and 2019, which is a sizeable increase of approximately 25%. The total capital expenditure allocation for 2019 is €7.3 billion, which will result in capital expenditure increases across almost every Department. For example, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government's allocation will increase by approximately €400 million next year.

In direct answer to the question the Deputy put to me on what this increased capital allocation is delivering, I note that while I am not responsible for the individual projects, I have sought information on them to share with him now. Across 2018, more than 80 large-scale school projects will be delivered while 140 additional accommodation projects will be at construction phase. Much of that work will begin later this year and continue into next year. As to roads projects, I point to progress on the Portlaoise southern distributor road and the improvement scheme at the Grange Castle Business Park. There is also a target to build 6,385 social housing units next year from the allocation I detailed a moment ago.

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