Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 326: To ask the Minister for Finance if the cross-departmental team on housing, infrastructure and public private partnership has discussed ways of ensuring that cost-benefit analyses are conducted on all major infrastructural projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6324/07]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The role of the Cross-Departmental Team, which assists the Cabinet Committee on Housing, Infrastructure and PPPs, and which is chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach, is to identify and assist in advancing and resolving issues related to infrastructural planning and delivery, ensuring they are adequately prepared for consideration by the Cabinet Committee and, where necessary, the Government. This work by the team has helped to improve significantly the capacity for the delivery of national infrastructure, especially in terms of time and cost. However, notwithstanding the important contribution of the CDT, lead responsibility remains clearly with the relevant Minister and Department in respect of each policy area or individual infrastructural project.

Government Departments are fully aware that under my Department's February 2005 Guidelines for the Appraisal and Management of Capital Expenditure a full Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) is required to be carried out by Public Sector Agencies as part of the detailed appraisal for all major projects over €30m in value. It is the responsibility of the project sponsoring agency to carry out the Cost Benefit Analysis. The CBA is an important input into the appraisal of major capital projects and it must take place prior to entering into any commitments to proceed with the project.