Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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441.To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department is aware of the updated National Planning Framework’s forecast that 50% of future population and job growth will occur outside the five cities and their suburbs; if his Department is examining how the regional distribution of public investment might change to reflect these new projections; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35606/24]

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 or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. Each Minister is responsible for deciding on the priority programmes and projects that will be delivered under their remit within the NDP and for setting out the timelines for delivery.

Project Ireland 2040 – comprising the National Development Plan (NDP) and the National Planning Framework (NPF) - remains the Government’s long-term overarching strategy to make Ireland a better country for all of its people. The National Planning Framework (NPF) was published in 2018 following extensive research, consultation and environmental assessment processes. As the Deputy is aware Government formally commenced the process to undertake a review of the NPF in June 2023 in order to appropriately reflect changes to government policy that have taken place since its initial publication in 2018, such as climate transition, regional development, demographics, digitalisation and investment and prioritisation.

The draft NPF published in July, echoes the 2018 forecast of 50% city growth and 50% growth to occur in key regional centres, towns, villages and rural areas. The NDP also seeks to ensure that a greater level of development and investment is focused within our rural villages, our towns and our cities so that our three regions can grow in line with the NPF forecast.