Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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131. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the NDP monitoring is showing that projects are being delivered on schedule; and if population growth requires any revisions to the plan. [10542/23]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments.  Management and delivery of individual investment projects within the allocations agreed under the NDP is a key responsibility of every Department and Minister.  I am currently examining the support structures and levers available across Government in order to maximise delivery of vital infrastructure such as housing, schools, hospitals, roads and public transport. All options to improve delivery and ensure that capital allocations are best utilised will be examined early in 2023, with necessary reforms to be implemented shortly after. 

The National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 (NDP), together with the National Planning Framework (NPF), combine to form Project Ireland 2040, which sets the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years for the social, economic and cultural development of Ireland.

The NDP published in October 2021 provides a detailed and positive vision for Ireland over the next 10 years and delivers total public investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030.  The NDP establishes the Government’s over-arching investment framework and broad direction for investment priorities for this decade.  The NDP also 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. 

In 2023, over €12 billion will be made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects, which will provide more schools, homes, hospitals and other pieces of vital infrastructure. This level of expenditure will be pivotal in consolidating the progress already made, and, most importantly, delivering the necessary infrastructure to support our future climate change obligations as well as our social and economic requirements.

The Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board oversees the delivery of the NDP and in 2022, five external members were appointed to the Board to bring additional expert knowledge, independent and regional perspectives, and an enhanced challenge function to the deliberations of the Board.

Two initiatives were introduced to strengthen the assurance process for major public investment projects to provide more structured scrutiny.  An External Assurance Process (EAP), to provide independent scrutiny for major public capital projects over €100 million and the establishment of the Major Projects Advisory Group (MPAG) who scrutinise project proposals and external reviews as a prerequisite to seeking Government approval for major projects.

The Government is also committed to continue to detail the delivery of the NDP at regular intervals into the future to allow for full transparency on the implementation of Project Ireland 2040. This will be achieved through regular updates of the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and map as well as the publication of annual reports and regional reports highlighting Project Ireland 2040 achievements and giving a detailed overview of the public investments that have been made throughout the country.

These reforms, alongside ongoing engagement with the construction sector regarding capacity and innovation, will support the effective delivery of the public capital programme under the NDP.

Ireland’s public capital infrastructure needs to be substantially strengthened to meet the needs of our growing population. This is the clear focus of all my colleagues in government in planning their capital projects over the medium term. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has commenced a review of the National Planning Framework (NPF) which will account for changes in population on foot of Census 2022, which recorded an increase in population of almost 362,000 or 7.6% since 2016.

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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132. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform as part of his focus on the NDP and in relation to the capital ceilings, if he has identified particular Departments as a priority and whose current ceiling may need amending; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10529/23]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments. Management and delivery of individual investment projects within the allocations agreed under the NDP is a key responsibility of every Department and Minister.

The National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 (NDP) published in October 2021 provides a detailed and positive vision for Ireland over the next 10 years, and delivers total public investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030. The NDP establishes the Government’s over-arching investment framework and broad direction for investment priorities for this decade. Capital allocations for 2021-2025 were set out in the NDP on a Departmental basis. In 2023, over €12 billion will be made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects, which will provide more schools, homes, hospitals and other pieces of vital infrastructure.

As you are aware, my Department has been renamed to give an additional focus on the delivery of the NDP and to assist Departments in delivering on their much needed priority projects within their existing capital ceilings. I am looking at all the policy levers and supporting structures at our disposal that could enhance the delivery of critical projects as well as working with colleagues across Government to remove any potential barriers that are impacting on delivery. This work will focus on how projects are approved and appraised by Government and Government Departments, the public procurement procedures required to comply with EU regulations under my own remit, and identifying capacity and capability gaps across the public sector and work to bridge these gaps.

The capital expenditure ceilings detailed in the NDP take account of the overall capability of the construction sector to deliver on the NDP and of the appropriate share of National Income being devoted to infrastructure. The levels of capital spending set out in the NDP, at close to 5% of GNI*, are already among the highest in the EU and are close to the limit of the overall capability to deliver in the coming decade. 

In 2023, over €12 billion will be made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects. This level of expenditure will be pivotal in consolidating the progress already made, and, most importantly, delivering the necessary infrastructure to support our future climate obligations as well as our social and economic requirements. The allocations provided to Departments for 2023 were finalised after detailed negotiations for Budget 2023 and I am confident that the ceilings are at the appropriate levels to continue the delivery of essential public infrastructure this year.