Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions No. 57 and 103 together.

I thank the Deputy for his question. The review of the national development plan provides an opportunity to reassess capital investment plans, particularly in light of the new programme for Government and the ongoing impact of and recovery from Covid. There has been significant progress in delivering a range of infrastructure projects throughout the country, since the launch of Project Ireland 2040. However, as committed to in the programme for Government, my Department has brought forward the review of the national development plan.

The first phase commenced in October 2020, which included the public consultation, review to renew, as well as further evidence gathering by way of sectoral submissions for Departments and a series of technical papers. The results of phase 1 were published on my Department's website on 4 April last.

The technical and consultative work carried out as part of phase 1 will underpin the decisions to be taken as part of phase 2 of the national development plan. The objective of phase 2 will be to set out revised sectoral capital allocations for the upcoming ten-year period, including non-Exchequer investment, as well as providing a renewed focus on the delivery of efficient and cost-effective public infrastructure. The range of indicated sectoral priorities will be identified as part of the final national development plan which, it is anticipated, will be published in summer 2021.

As the questions refer to the review to renew public consultation process, I will touch on that. I can confirm we had 572 submissions, and we can provide a detailed breakdown of those to the Deputy. There was, by any measure, a very strong level of public engagement. From inception, the consultation process was a fundamental part of the process to develop and deliver the revised national development plan and a range of events, platforms and strategies were used to engender dialogue and encourage feedback.

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