Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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80. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when details of the next capital investment plan will be announced; the level of preparation that has so far been completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1994/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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My Department commenced a review of the public capital programme in April of last year in parallel with the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure. The purpose of the review is to assess all areas of public capital investment and to refresh the existing investment strategy and multi-annual envelopes to ensure that they are in line with emerging Government priorities and that our limited resources are focused on the areas that can best support continued, sustainable and equitable growth.

As with the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure, all Departments (and their Agencies) with capital budgets were asked to make submissions to my Department in order to feed into the review process. Specifically, they were asked to outline their capital investment plans for the five year period ahead. My Department also consulted external stakeholders such as the ESRI, the CIF and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, for their views on what the State's main infrastructure priorities for the period ahead should be. Alongside these consultations, officials within my Department conducted analysis on particular areas and aspects of capital expenditure. It is my intention that the submissions and papers which informed the capital review will be made available on my Department's website once the report on the review is published.

Government has made its decision on the capital allocations for the next three years and these were set out in Budget 2015. The report of the capital review is being finalised and I intend to publish it in the coming weeks. The report will include the three year ceilings announced on Budget Day along with new ceilings for the period 2018 to 2020.