Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

285. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the projects that have gone to tender or commenced construction under the Government's stimulus plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25529/14]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

289. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of the €200 million designated as investment funded by national lottery licence for direct Exchequer capital funding according to the Government Estimates for 2014 is expected to go towards construction related projects; if he will list the projects; if he will provide an update on any of these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25563/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 and 289 together.

Since July 2012, I have made a number of announcements in relation to additional capital investment to be funded from stimulus moneys:

- In July 2012 I announced a €2.25 billion Stimulus Package which included a new €1.5 billion PPP programme involving projects across the education, roads, healthcare and justice sectors;

- In June 2013, following on from the 2012 announcement, I allocated €150 million additional Exchequer investment to schools, energy efficiency and roads projects;

- In Budget 2014 I announced that, along with the €200 million already committed to the National Children's Hospital, some €200 million would be invested from the Lottery Licence transaction;

- Finally, in May of this year, I announced a further €200 million of investment in a range of capital projects to be funded from the proceeds of the sale of State assets.

As these announcements have been made at different junctures over the course of the last two years, some are more advanced than others. The PPP element of the stimulus plan was the first to be launched and is being delivered by a range of Government Departments and Agencies across the roads, education, healthcare and justice areas, working in conjunction with the National Development Finance Agency. The largest PPP in the July 2012 Stimulus announcement was the N17/N18 Gort to Tuam road and I am pleased to report that the contracts on this project were signed in April this year and construction of the project is now underway. In addition, seven of the announced projects have issued to market and the procurement process is in progress. These are:

- Schools Bundle 4

- Schools Bundle 5

- Grangegorman DIT - Central and East Quads

- Courts Bundle

- Primary Care Centres Bundle

- M11 Gorey Enniscorthy

- N25 New Ross Bypass

These projects are on course to reach financial close and commence construction later this year and in 2015.

At the time of the 2012 announcement, it was also envisaged that in the Justice area a bundle of three Garda divisional HQs would be progressed as a PPP. It has since been decided that these can be better delivered through traditional Exchequer investment and I understand that these will issue to market very shortly.

The Exchequer elements, although announced later than the PPP programme, are also progressing well. In relaton to the June 2013 package, the roads element was completed at the end of last year, construction has commenced on the Local Authority Energy Efficiency works and seven of the 28 schools projects are under construction, with 17 more at tender stage and the remaining four at pre-tender stage.

In relation to the National Lottery Licence funded projects, a full list of the projects and programmes included in this package are available on my Department's website (www.per.gov.ie). Most of these projects involve construction works; however, three involve non-construction related capital investment: the National Trading Online Voucher Scheme, National City of Culture and seed capital investment for a Book Rental Scheme for Primary Schools. The funding from the Lottery Licence for the three non-construction related projects comes to a total of €16 million. Looking at the package as a whole, eight projects are at planning or tender phase and nine have commenced construction or are being rolled out. The most recent announcement was made in May of this year and most of the projects involved in that package are still at the early phases of planning. As with the National Lottery Licence funding, a list of the projects and programmes included in this latest package is available on my Department's website. Further details on individual projects and programmes can be obtained from the relevant Ministers and their line Departments.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

286. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total amount of capital spending on construction projects carried out by his Department and by bodies operating under the responsibility of his Department between 2008 and to date in 2014; if he will provide the information on an annual basis in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25543/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In response to the Deputy's question the total amount of capital spending on construction projects carried out by my Department and by bodies operating under the responsibility of my Department between 2008 and to date in 2014 is as outlined below. The following two tables show the capital spending on construction projects by my Department in 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014.

Capital Spending on Construction Projects

Capital Spending on Construction Projects

By way of information, the costs incurred by both Public Expenditure and Reform Vote and the Shared Services Vote in respect of Peoplepoint/HR Shared Services Centre in 2012 and 2013 were incurred in the fit out of the offices in Clonskeagh. The costs incurred by Shared Service Vote in respect of the Payroll Shared Service (PSSC) were incurred in respect of fit-out costs in Tullamore. The following table shows details of the capital spending on construction projects by the Office of Public Works from 2008 to date in 2014:

Capital Spending on Construction Projects

In order to account for the difference between the above construction expenditure and the capital allocation on the Office of Public Works Vote please note that Unitary Payments for the Convention Centre Dublin and the replacement of Plant and Machinery are not included in the above figures.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

287. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of the €10 million designated to his Department for direct Exchequer capital funding according to the Government Estimates for 2014 is expected to go towards construction related projects; if he will list the projects; if he will provide an update on any of these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25559/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In response to the Deputy's question the following table outlines the amount of the €10 million designated to my Department for direct Exchequer capital funding according to the Government Estimates for 2014 expected to go towards construction related projects.  

It is not known at this time as to what proportion of this amount will be spent in respect of construction.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

288. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of the €100 million designated to the Office of Public Works for direct Exchequer capital funding according to the Government Estimates for 2014 is expected to go towards construction related projects; if he will list the projects; if he will provide an update on any of these projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25560/14]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The direct Exchequer capital funding allocated to the Office of Public Works for 2014 amounts to €104.5 million. A breakdown by Subhead of the €104.5m on the OPW Vote in 2014 is set out below:

Additional Detail:

A list of the types/various construction related projects is set out below in Table 1 (Subhead B.7) and Table 2 (Subhead A.5).

Table 1 - Subhead B.6

The majority of the above projects are on site and are proceeding satisfactorily with €34m contractually committed in 2014.

A.5 Flood Relief

In the area of Flood Risk Management the 2014 allocation is €44.2 million, with another €0.8 million allocated for the cost of replacement plant and machinery. Of the €44.2 million approximately €37 million is directly associated with construction related projects. Approximately €5 million is associated with the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management Programme (CFRAM) which will give rise to projects at upwards of 300 locations i.e. over 90%. Of the €37 million directly related to projects, approximately €34 million will be spent on major Flood Relief Schemes with the remainder allocated to the Minor Works Scheme, in which the OPW provides funding to Local Authorities to undertake works, subject to meeting specific criteria and the availability of funding, up to €0.5 million in cost for an individual project.

The list below sets out the major flood relief projects which it is anticipated will incur expenditure in 2014.

Table 2 - Subhead A.5

The Schemes currently at construction include Mallow, Clonmel, Fermoy, Bray, River Dodder, Ennis, River Wad and Waterford City. Schemes where construction may commence before the end of 2014 include Skibbereen, Co Cork, Claregalway, Co Galway, Templemore and the South Campshires, Dublin. It is anticipated that the rest of the Schemes on the list will commence construction in either 2015 or 2016, subject to final designs being completed, planning approvals and the required funding being available.