Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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209. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform considering that as based on the National Planning Framework, Drogheda and Dundalk have been recognised as regional growth centres with population due to increase by 50,000 in each town by 2030; if he will commit to meeting the associated resourcing requirements and demands for the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16075/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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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. 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. Expenditure is therefore allocated and monitored on a Departmental basis and not a geographical basis.

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. 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 November 2024, echoes the 2018 forecast of 50% city growth and 50% growth to occur in key regional centres, towns, villages and rural areas. Government will be required to approve a final revised NPF following the conclusion of the environmental assessments. Further to the approval by Government, the final draft will then be submitted to the Houses of the Oireachtas for approval.

The important regional role of Dundalk and Drogheda is recognised in the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for the Eastern and Midlands Regional Assembly Area. The draft NPF sets out the intention to further support and develop the economic potential of the Dublin-Belfast Corridor and in particular the core Drogheda-Dundalk-Newry network and to promote and enhance its international visibility.

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.

Additionally, the Programme for Government sets out that Government will prioritise an early review of the National Development Plan, which will be completed in July 2025. The review of the National Development Plan will encompass all public capital investment and will utilise State funds to support increased capital investment levels.