Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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22. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the measures he plans to put in place to deal with the under investment in the Northern and Western Regional Assembly areas and to move the region from a region in transition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45653/21]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and this priority is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040. This strategic plan includes the National Planning Framework, which sets the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years, along with the National Development Plan which is currently in the process of being reviewed and is due for publication shortly.

Ensuring close alignment between the two is necessary in order to accommodate a projected 1 million additional people by 2040 across Ireland's three regional assembly areas. The plan aims to ensure that 75% of growth takes place outside Dublin. One of the objectives of the review of the National Development Plan, is to ensure the alignment of investment with that strategy in order to promote regional development as planned.

The three Regional Assemblies are responsible for co-ordinating, promoting and supporting the strategic planning and sustainable development of their regions, by formulating Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies. The strategy for the Northern and Western Region has set out the priorities for the region based on the County Development Plans being integrated into a regional investment plan which is expected to be a major driver of the implementation of the NPF. Investment decisions made by Departments are informed by the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies.

A report on the Northern and Western Region will be published alongside the new NDP. The report details the specific regional projects and programmes which are being delivered in the North-West as part of the public investment detailed in Project Ireland 2040.

In addition, my Department publishes a major capital projects tracker, which sets out details of the key projects and programmes being implemented under the NDP, including the location of the projects. The Tracker includes a number of major projects directly related to the Northern and Western region.