Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I will respond to some of the points raised by some of the Deputies. A number of Deputies, including Deputies Mattie McGrath and Danny Healy-Rae, raised the issue of water and wastewater infrastructure and, certainly, on the capital side, Uisce Éireann is fully funded to continue its work. It has a very ambitious programme of work to address water and wastewater infrastructure, including in rural areas across the country. That work is progressing, albeit that there are delivery challenges but that is recognised.

Deputy Michael Collins raised the issue around the capacity to deliver housing. Again, through the Minister, Deputy Harris, there has been a very strong throughput of apprentices through the apprenticeship programme.

I disagree with some of the Deputies on balanced regional development. There has been significant investment in the regions right across the country. I note the points made by Deputy Shanahan also. As a Deputy from the south east, I can see the significant investment coming to the south-east region. The South East Technological University, SETU, is part of a much bigger project for the region. It is most welcome that we have gotten here so quickly with it and the Carlow campus, similarly, is doing very well and is expanding both its range and its support to the wider catchment in the south-east region.

I note the points raised by Deputy Shanahan, which he has done on a number of occasions, on the cath lab for University Hospital Waterford. He also mentioned the roads programme.

Addressing the point raised by Deputy Wynne on the targeted measures to address child poverty, the Government is playing a very strong role in addressing child property and, certainly, we have seen in successive budgets that it is regarded by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, as being progressive both in terms of childcare but also in the fact that the Taoiseach has established a child poverty unit within his own Department. That sends out a strong signal that we will continue to make significant investment in childhood education, welfare and development over the course of this Government.

The funding set out in the Appropriation Bill represents a significant investment in public services and infrastructure. Some €95.9 billion, in gross terms, was allocated as part of the Estimates process, including Supplementary Estimates of €6 billion. This reflects the Government's responsive and flexible fiscal policy approach to dealing with external challenges, including the State's response to the war in Ukraine and the provision of humanitarian supports in the provision of additional cost-of-living supports.

The Appropriation Bill also provides for the capital carryover of of €532.1 million from 2023 to 2024, which is 4.2% of the total 2023 gross voted capital allocation of €12,589 million. Capital carryover is useful mechanism to ensure the national development plan, NDP, can deliver on key projects.

At the end of November capital expenditure stood at €8.7 billion representing an increase of 29% in spending for the same period last year. This has supported the delivery of additional school places, investment in our healthcare facilities, and our transport services and housing which were all issues raised by Deputies. Budgeted capital expenditure in 2024 of €12.5 billion is over two and half times the allocation distributed in 2017 of €4.6 billion prior to the first national development plan.

The NDP sets a longer term framework for public investment which links to national strategic objectives for the country out to 2040. In the NDP, the Government is committed to an ambitious programme of total public investment of €165 billion over the period 2021 to 2030. Our ultimate goal is to provide sustainable infrastructure to meet the additional 1 million population by 2040 and, most importantly, delivering much needed schools, homes, hospitals and transport.

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