Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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33. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress to date of the projects included in the Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2012-16 plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9450/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the five year capital plan out to 2016 was set following a Government-wide review of the Public Capital Programme led by my Department in 2011. The plan includes a significant investment of some €17bn which will address critical infrastructure deficits, aid economic growth and provide much needed social infrastructure.

As stated in previous replies, the actual roll-out of capital expenditure is a matter for individual line Departments and their agencies, operating within the annual allocations approved by Government and the delegated sanction arrangements issued by my Department.

However, I am pleased to report that of the €7.3 billion allocated for the first two years of the plan, €7.2 billion has been spent. This includes €2.2 billion for Transport, €1.4 billion for Environment, €912 million for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, €824 million for Education and €684 million for Health, with the remaining €1.2 billion spread across a range of other Departments. This level of spend, when compared with the allocation, would indicate that the projects and programmes included in the plan are generally progressing on time.

As I announced on Budget day, a review of the public capital programme will be undertaken by my Department this year. This exercise will culminate in the setting of the Government's capital investment framework for the next five years.