Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

186. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the capital carryover in his Department in each of the years 2015 to date; the proportion of the total capital allocation that had to be carried in each of those years; the proportion of the capital allocation of that year that was carried over from the previous year; the reasons for capital carryover in each of those years; the measures he is taking to reduce capital carryover; if he anticipates capital carryover in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16483/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Deputy,

Please see breakdown of capital carryover from 2015 to date.

In 2015, the carryover into the year was to meet commitments under Tourism Product Development Scheme and the development of other projects at the National Sports Campus. Carryover to 2016 was related to delays to progress on Active Travel Towns and to long delays in obtaining permits for works in Bantry Bay Harbour resulting in Port of Cork being unable to spend their allocation in 2015.

2016 Carryover

In 2016, the carryover was related to a delay in the commencement of an office accommodation project and timing of expenditure relating to National Indoor Arena. There were underspends on the National Cycle Network programme for Kerry and Galway. The Grange Castle Business Park had been delayed due to a longer than expected lead in related to the necessary ESB works.

2017 Carryover

In 2017, carryover was largely related to the funding for the Kerry Sports Academy. Other funding for a project in Limerick under the Smarter Travel areas, in addition, expenditure allocated under INTERREG was not realised that year.

2018 Carryover

In 2018, carryover was related to essential repairs to the embankment in Shannon airport not undertaken. Delay also on procurement of the infrastructure required for the introduction of a new NVDF Strategic Platform to allow API and portal access to the Driver and Vehicle details. Some schemes such as PEMS testing on buses ran into 2019. Retention payments were delayed until 2019 on Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Castelebar Project and Kerry Academy. Delays with retention drawdown for Loughlinstown, and Dunmanway, and the usual difficult-to-anticipate project progress in the cases of Lucan, Buncrana and Edenderry. Slower than anticipated progress of a Dept. of Community and Rural joint funding programme for Outdoor Activity Infrastructure.

2019 Carryover

In 2019, carryover was related to the slower drawdown of grants for sporting bodies than expected. Public and Sustainable Transport Investment Programme carryover was due to the re-profiling of INTERREG funding by SEUPB and slower than anticipated drawdown on the bus fleet programme. Funding for new Greenways projects was awarded later than anticipated and the Local Authorities were therefore not able to have substantial drawdown in 2019. Maritime Administration and IRCG carryover was required due to delays in a number of procurement projects including capital assets replacement, and the Coast Guard Station House Building Programme.

2020 Carryover

In 2020 the carryover related to delays to some eSPSV grant expenditure, the purchase of hydrogen buses; the Knock Airport Apron extension project; some public transport infrastructure projects; and the Coast Guard building programme, particularly the Westport and Greystones projects.

2021 Carryover

In 2021, the carryover related to the Shannon Embankment project, the Donegal airport fencing project, the runway at Waterford Airport, the Passenger Boarding Bridge at Shannon Airport; bus delivery delays as a result of a shortage in the availability of Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) equipment and an underspend in Active Travel Infrastructure as Local Authorities continued to scale up projects and resources to match the budget available.

2022 Carryover

In 2022 the carryover related to delays in EV global supply chains and associated delivery of vehicles; delays in the delivery of bus fleet; ongoing delays to the commencement of Bonmahon Coast Guard station, the Shannon Passenger Bridge boarding project and the IWAK Apron project.

2023 Carryover

In 2023, carryover was related to delays in some Greenway projects. Slightly less demand than forecast for some EV grant schemes and other infrastructure schemes. Delay in bus purchases on the Public Transport Investment programme. Delay in progression of A5 border to Derry in the National Roads Investment programme. Delay in the Cork security project and other project deliveries before year end on the Regional Airports programme. Delays in building projects and on final invoicing for Bunmahon on the Coast Guard building programme.

2024 Carryover

In 2024, Carryover was related to delays in planning approvals for Core Bus Corridors in Dublin delaying commencement of construction from 2024 to 2025. Delays in various depot and electrification works shifted expenditure from 2024 to 2025.Delays to the acceptance of Urban Double-Deck Electric Buses for BusConnects from 2024 to 2025 due to the application of General Safety Regulation 2 (GSR2) in Ireland from July 2024. Underspends against a number of Irish Rail projects such as FourNorth, Connect, and Enterprise Fleet Replacement. Core ZEVI expenditure was below estimates for 2024 due primarily to a slowdown in EV uptake. There were delays in progressing a section on the Grand Canal Greenway due to protracted discussions with relevant parties. An allocation for the Blessington Greenway remained unspent as a decision was awaited from An Bord Pleanala in relation to statutory consent, a similar situation pertained to the Greenway scheme from Monaghan to the Border. Delays in securing voluntary land acquisition agreements with landowners arose on other schemes which also resulted in programme delays and therefore, underspends on Greenway projects.

Project management is complex and it is inevitable that there will be some delays to projects in any given year, given the size of the Department's budget and number and complexity of projects under its remit. The purpose of facilitating capital carryover is to allow, within reason, funding tied to delayed projects to move smoothly from one year to the next to support the flow of project investment. In this regard, my main concern is that any underspends arising in the year are minimised and that should underspends arise due to unforeseen delays in projects, that the funds associated with the projects are fully utilised via carryover.

The Department expects to invest its entire capital allocation for 2025.