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

I am responsible for the public spending code, which sets the value-for-money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects. In March this year, I informed the Government of a package of significant actions aimed at enhancing project delivery for the national development plan, NDP. This package represented a fresh approach to securing delivery as part of the Department's enhanced remit around the NDP.

The actions include significant changes to reduce the administrative burden for Departments and public bodies developing capital projects. Some specific changes designed to streamline the project life cycle and approval process include the general threshold for major projects increasing from €100 million to €200 million, allowing for projects below this limit to progress more speedily through the appraisal and evaluation process. Changes also include the reduction of the number of approval stages prior to implementation from five to three, reducing the administrative burden on Government Departments charged with developing and delivering projects. Another change is the removal of the requirement for a project to prepare a separate strategic assessment report, SAR, at the start of the process. All the requirements previously required as part of a SAR must now be completed and incorporated as part of the preliminary business case at the first approval stage.

The changes have already been implemented through Government Circular 06/2023. Further appraisal guidance will be published shortly, known as the infrastructure guidelines, which will replace the existing public spending code.

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