Martin Daly (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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106. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under National Strategic Outcome (NSO) 8 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16298/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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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.

The NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities which will contribute towards the achievement of these National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs), including NSO 8, which relates to the Transition to a Climate-Neutral and Climate-Resilient Society. This NSO highlights the need for a radical restructuring of our society and economy to reduce fossil fuel use and move rapidly to a climate-neutral economic model by 2050. Investment in NSO 8 will not only contribute to the objective of a 51% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 but also lay the pathway to achieve the national climate objective of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The Climate Action Plan 2024, which was published in December 2023, sets out the actions, measures, policies and plans to meet the emission reduction targets required by our carbon budgets and sectoral emission ceilings. The plan contains actions Ireland must implement to meet our emissions reduction targets and to achieve net zero emissions no later than 2050.

In recognition of the need for additional investment to assist Ireland to deal with the transition to climate neutrality, and deal with nature, water and biodiversity degradation, the Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund Bill 2024 was published in April. The fund will support designated environmental projects specifically related to the achievement of climate and nature goals.

Under NSO 8, a range of investments are planned and underway under the NDP. Some projects completed in recent years include:

• Oweninny Wind Farm Project (Phase 1)
• River Dodder Flood Relief Scheme (phase 2)
• Clonakilty Flood Relief Scheme
• Ennis Lower Flood Relief Scheme
• Grousemount Wind Farm
• Douglas Flood Relief Scheme
• Ennis South Flood
• Bandon Flood Relief scheme
• Skibbereen Flood Relief Scheme
• Cloncreen Windfarm
• Oweninny Wind Farm Project (Phase 2)