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

On the scale of the stimulus and the role of capital spending, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, has committed to €9 billion of investment in capital projects next year. To put that in context, the figure at the start of the previous Dáil was between €3 billion and €4 billion. It is a huge increase on recent years. Unlike in other years when, due to our inability to fund public services, capital investment had to be cut back, the Minister, Deputy McGrath, earlier this year committed to maintaining capital investment at approximately €1 billion higher than it otherwise would have been, which is now a €9 billion figure. As for it going beyond that, the Minister, Deputy McGrath, is now looking at that as part of his engagement with all the spending Departments.

On the Deputy's point about retraining, we will be closely monitoring the take-up and use of all the different training posts and further education roles announced as part of the July jobs plan. I expect them to play a big part in our efforts for 2021 and beyond.

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