Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 838: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the proposed spending envelopes approved and set out by his Department for the foreseeable future; the broad objectives to be achieved by spending of such financial envelopes; the timescale set out for achievement of targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25976/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Since 2004, the Capital Investment Framework Agreement between my Department and the Department of Finance sets out aggregate capital provisions for the Department for rolling five-year periods. The most recent envelope covering the period 2006 to 2010 was announced in Budget 2006 and is valued at €10.33 billion. Under the Agreement my Department can operate a carryover facility of up to 10 per cent of the current year's voted capital allocation (€189m in the case of DoEHLG for 2006) and also has the latitude, in consultation with the Department of Finance, to change the composition of the capital provision where necessary.

The approved capital envelope will underpin the objectives of my Department's various capital programmes including Housing, Water Services and Non-national Roads, as set out in its published Statement of Strategy 2005-2007. In turn this is focused on the continuing goal of promoting sustainable development and improving the quality of life through protection of the environment and heritage, infrastructure provision, balanced regional development and good local government.

The introduction of capital envelopes is a welcome advance in the estimates process, enabling my Department to take a longer-term view of its capital programmes and to address the needs of these programmes on a considered and structured multi-annual basis.