Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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199. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the degree to which he expects all Government projects to continue to be completed on time and within budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21597/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As part of Project Ireland 2040 (PI2040), the National Development Plan 2021-30 (NDP), published on 4^thOctober 2021, sets out the Government’s over-arching investment framework and broad direction for investment priorities for this decade.

As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at a Departmental level. My Department is also responsible for maintaining the national frameworks within which Departments operate to ensure appropriate accounting for and value for money in public expenditure such as the Public Spending Code.

The Public Spending Code sets the value for money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing capital projects. Management and delivery of individual investment projects within the allocations agreed under the NDP and within the national frameworks is a key responsibility of every Accounting Officer and Minister.

It is important to acknowledge that the majority of public investment projects are delivered on budget and on time and there is a high level of professionalism across the sectors. To build on these strengths, the NDP set out the range of actions that are being taken to strengthen delivery, maximise value for money and ensure to the greatest extent possible that projects are delivered on time, on budget and with the benefits targeted at the outset. 

The update of the Public Spending Code in 2019 combined with lessons learned from domestic projects and international best practice highlighted the need for more structured scrutiny of major public investment projects, particularly in the areas of planned delivery, costings and risk. This is to ensure that Government is making decisions with a full picture of the proposal, its costs, risks and benefits.

In order to achieve this, my Department has introduced two key reforms:

- The introduction of an External Assurance Process (EAP) for projects over €100m which will provide independent project scrutiny at key decision stages.

- A new Major Projects Advisory Group (MPAG) has been established to further strengthen project management.

These reforms, alongside ongoing engagement with the construction sector regarding capacity and innovation, will support the effective delivery of Project Ireland 2040.