Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an overview of the progress to date under national strategic outcome No. 2 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30987/23]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government has committed €165 billion funding for capital investment, as set out in the NDP published in October 2021. This expenditure was considered and agreed in order to support those sectors that would be key in delivering the ten National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs) identified in the National Planning Framework (NPF).

The NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities which will contribute towards the achievement of these NSOs, including NSO 2 which relates to Enhanced Regional Accessibility.

This strategic outcome seeks to enhance intra-regional accessibility through improved transport links between key urban centres of population and their respective regions, as well as improving transport links between the regions. The Government is investing in active travel, bus, rail and road projects across the country to deliver on this strategic outcome. The NDP provides funding of €35 billion for transport infrastructure over the next ten years. Among the projects recently completed were the N5 Westport to Turlough road. This road will enable economic development in the West of Ireland, while greatly enhancing connectivity within the region, as well as improving the link between the midlands and the West of Ireland. Other regional transport projects under construction are the N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom road and the M8/N25 Dunkettle Interchange.

The maintenance and renewal of the rail network is also a focus of this strategic outcome. The NTA and Iarnród Eireann have ordered 41 Inter-City Railcars (ICRs) which are entering service and will further enhance and expand the rail fleet. Construction of the National Train Control Centre was completed in November 2022 and will be a key enabler for the expansion of rail services as it will enhance rail traffic management and will underpin both the planned and potential future expansion of rail services across the network.

The Government is committed to detailing progress on the delivery of the NDP at regular intervals into the future to allow for full transparency of the implementation of Project Ireland 2040. This is achieved through regular updates of the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and MyProjectIreland interactive map viewer which list projects and programmes on a regional and county level. These datasets list the stage of the project lifecycle from strategic assessment to completion, thereby allowing users to see what projects are planned, in construction or completed for each county and region.

The capital tracker and interactive map are key tools in overseeing the progress of Project Ireland 2040. The latest editions of the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and interactive map, were published on the gov.ie website in February 2023. The tracker includes comprehensive details on almost 320 large scale projects and 140 individual programmes, while the interactive map database includes an overview of 1,240 individual projects.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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72. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under national strategic outcome No. 10 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30907/23]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Government has committed €165 billion funding for capital investment, as set out in the National Development Plan (NDP) published in October 2021. This expenditure was considered and agreed in order to support those sectors that would be key in delivering the ten National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs) identified in the National Planning Framework (NPF).

The NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities which will contribute towards the achievement of these NSOs, including NSO 10 (Access to Quality Childcare, Education and Health Services).

In terms of childcare, during 2022, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth spent almost €60 million across its various capital programmes to support a range of key services in respect of children and young people and international migrants. In addition, in 2022, over 180 school building projects were delivered under various programmes and schemes, such as the Large Scale Capital Programme, and the Additional School Accommodation Scheme. Approximately 300 school projects are currently in construction, with a further 1,000 schools projects in the pipeline.

In terms of healthcare, new elective hospitals are planned for Cork and Galway. Significant progress is being made on the National Children’s Hospital, and 16 new Primary Centres were added in 2022. As of June 2023, there are 167 Primary Care Centres operational nationally, with a further 13 currently in construction, with 10 of these due to open during 2023.

In 2023, over €12 billion will be made available to Departments to spend on vital infrastructure in areas such as transport, education, and health, as well as housing, water infrastructure and cultural amenities. NSO 10 will continue to be prioritised as we continue to deliver our National Strategic Outcomes across the country in line with the National Planning Framework.

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 and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan 2021 - 2030 (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case.

NSO 9 relates to the Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and other Environmental Resources. This NSO highlights the centrality of our sustainable water resources to the implementation of the National Planning Framework to underpin our environmental and economic well-being into the future which is against the backdrop of the deficits in water services capacity and quality arising from past underinvestment. Investment in the water and waste water network will support environmental and economic wellbeing, deal with population growth and the effects of a changing climate.

The relevant sectoral strategies under this NSO are the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025, Uisce Éireann’s National Water Resources Plan and the Government’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. These strategies play a critical role in identifying the goals and priorities for this area and are therefore critical in informing the investment projects set out in the NDP.

In terms of water management a range of investments are planned and underway. In the period from 2021-2025 almost €6 billion of investments will be undertaken by Uisce Éireann. This investment includes major projects such as the Cork City Water Supply Project, Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade and the ongoing National Leakage Reduction Programme.

Major capital infrastructure programmes across all of Ireland are currently ongoing and investment will continue to be prioritised to improve water and waste water quality through significant capital projects and delivery of national programmes.

Strategic investment priorities to ensure water quality include: works to address issues with public water supplies on the EPA’s Remedial Action List, ending the discharge of untreated sewage at the locations identified under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, and Undertaking waste water upgrades at EPA designated priority areas.

Furthermore, a range of investment relating to the Circular Economy will also be delivered over the coming years.

These are just some of the many investments which will be delivered under NSO 9 in the coming years to support Project Ireland 2040. Further details on projects, by NSO, can be found on the investment tracker on gov.ie/2040.

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 and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. Expenditure is therefore allocated and monitored on a Departmental basis and not a geographic basis.

The Government has committed €165 billion funding for capital investment, as set out in the NDP published in October 2021. The NDP includes indicative Exchequer allocations for each Department for a five year period (2021 to 2025) and the overall capital expenditure ceilings out to 2030. This expenditure was considered and agreed in order to support those sectors that would be key in delivering the ten National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs) identified in the National Planning Framework (NPF). The NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities which have been determined by the relevant Departments as central to the delivery of the National Planning Framework vision.

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, supporting balanced regional development and, most importantly, delivering the necessary infrastructure to support our future climate change obligations as well as our social and economic requirements.

The Government will 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 which have been made throughout the country.

The capital investment tracker provides a composite update on the progress of all major investments with an estimated cost of greater than €20 million. Accompanying the tracker, the myProjectIreland interactive map details projects across the country and provides details on specific projects by county, including counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, and contains smaller investments such as schools and social housing projects. Search facilities also allow citizens to view projects in their regional area, by city, by county or by eircode.

In addition, Regional Reports on the implementation of Project Ireland 2040 in the three Regional Assembly areas have been published for 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, with an update for 2022 scheduled to be published in the coming weeks. The reports set out the regional projects and programmes, which are being planned and delivered in the Eastern and Midland Region, including in Counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, as part of the public investment detailed in Project Ireland 2040. While the reports do not provide an exhaustive list of all public capital expenditure, they serve to highlight the diverse range of investments being made by the State under Project Ireland 2040 in the region.

The Project Ireland 2040 Regional Reports, capital investment tracker and myProjectIreland interactive map are all available on gov.ie/2040.