James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes. The best was saved to last. I thank Deputy Ó Cuív. Before I respond, I pay tribute to him and welcome his family. I have just been informed they are in the Public Gallery. I do not know whether he will have an opportunity to contribute again in this House in the coming weeks. Knowing him, I am sure he will find a couple more opportunities. I wish to put on record his significant contribution to this House, the nation, this Republic and to the party in which I am privileged to serve alongside him. Since I started working with him, he has always been a source of knowledge, experience and, most importantly, wisdom. I thank him for the time he made available. It certainly benefited my career and my understanding of many complex issues. I thank him for that on the public record.

To take up the point he raised, I know this is a topic close to his heart and he has often spoken on these matters. Balanced regional development is a key priority of the Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040. This strategic plan includes the national planning framework, NPF, which sets the overarching spatial strategy for the next 20 years, along with the revised national development plan 2021-2030, which was published in October 2021. The Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform is responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at departmental level. His Department is also responsible for maintaining the national frameworks within which Departments operate to ensure appropriate accounting for and value for money in public expenditure.

The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies within the allocations agreed under the national development plan and in line with the national frameworks rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. The Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform therefore allocates expenditure on a departmental basis rather than a geographic basis as per the requests from individual Departments for spending within their remits.

The Government committed €165 billion towards capital investment through the NDP published in 2021. An additional €2.25 billion of windfall corporate tax receipts has also been pledged and allocated from 2024 to 2026 to provide funding for critical infrastructure projects that are at an advanced stage as well as to the existing climate action fund. This builds on the existing funding already available under the NDP out to 2026, and it will mean more schools, housing, transport and healthcare projects can be progressed and delivered for our people across all regions, including in the northern and western region.

The three regional assemblies, including the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, are responsible for co-ordinating, promoting and supporting the strategic planning and sustainable development of their regions by formulating regional spatial and economic strategies, RSES. Investment decisions made by Departments are informed by those strategies.

In 2025, almost €15 billion will be made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects, which will provide more schools, homes, hospitals and other pieces of vital infrastructure. This level of expenditure will be pivotal in consolidating the progress already made, supporting balanced regional development and, most importantly, delivering the necessary infrastructure to support our future climate change obligations as well as our social and economic requirements.

The Government is continuing to deliver and improve infrastructure in the northern and western region in areas such as transport, broadband connectivity, housing and energy. These investments in public infrastructure projects will in turn have a positive effect in delivering employment opportunities and further investment by the private sector so that it becomes a repeating circle.

Examples of progress on delivery in the northern and western regions include better educational facilities - for example, the Holy Family Special School, in Cootehill, Cavan, and Gairmscoil Mhuire, in Athenry, County Galway; more social housing - for example, 74 social housing units in Ballyburke, County Galway, as part of the PPP social housing bundle, and 73 social housing units in the Ursuline convent, Sligo; better transport links, including upgrades on the N4 from Collooney to Castlebaldwin, the N5 from Westport to Turlough, the N56 from Mountcharles to Inver road, and the N59 Moycullen bypass, all projects which will save lives and boost competitiveness as well as providing for smoother journeys in every sense, while being regionally balanced and in line with Project Ireland 2040; better health facilities, including a radiation oncology unit at University Hospital Galway, a residential care centre at Dungloe Community Hospital and a primary care centre in Monaghan town; high-quality cultural and sporting amenities, such as the new libraries in Virginia, County Cavan, and Monaghan town; and hundreds of projects across the rural and urban regeneration and disruptive technologies funds.

I have a long list but I think the Deputy gets the idea that there are many projects under way in the region

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