Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Finance if it is the Government's intention to prepare a successor to the national development plan; if so, when and the period for which it will apply; the methodology, including stakeholder consultation, which will be used; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12530/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Government has taken no decision as yet as to whether there will be a successor to the current seven year national development plan which will run until the end of 2006. Unlike previous occasions there is no requirement under the draft Structural Funds regulations for the period 2007-13 to prepare a national development plan. The introduction of the rolling multi-annual capital envelopes in budget 2004 was a major innovation and provides a medium-term financial framework for public capital investment. This gives Departments and implementing agencies relative financial certainty to plan capital programmes and projects over the medium-term. I will be examining whether the capital envelopes need to be augmented through a post-2006 national development plan and will make my recommendations to Government in this regard in due course.