Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

137. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under National Strategic Outcome (NSO) 2 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16087/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation 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 Government committed €165 billion towards capital investment through the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-30 published in 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). An additional €2.25 billion of windfall corporate tax receipts has also been allocated from 2024 to 2026, to provide funding for critical infrastructure projects that are at an advanced stage, as well as to the existing Climate Action Fund.

In Budget 2025, almost €15 billion was made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects along with €3 billion of funds from the sale of the State’s shareholding in AIB in June 2024. This level of expenditure is pivotal in consolidating the progress already made and in supporting balanced regional development to address key infrastructural bottlenecks more rapidly, and lead to further improvements in living standards and competitiveness.

The NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities which will contribute towards the achievement of the 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.

Some of the key projects underway or already delivered under NSO 2 include:

M7 Naas to Newbridge Bypass Widening

M8/N25 Dunkettle Interchange

N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom

N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin

N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge

N5 Westport to Turlough

PPP: M11 Gorey-Enniscorthy Motorway

PPP: N17/N18 Gort-Tuam

PPP: N25 New Ross Bypass and

N21/N69 Limerick to Adare to Foynes.

Further details of projects and programmes being delivered under NSO 2 can be found in the capital investment tracker which 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 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.

The Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and myProjectIreland interactive map are all available on gov.ie/2040 and will be updated in Q2 2025.