Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under National Strategic Outcome 6 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39720/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, 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, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. National Strategic Outcome (NSO) 6 deals with the delivery of high quality international connectivity.

The relevant sectoral strategies under NSO 6 include the National Aviation Policy, the National Ports Policy, and the Telecommunications chapter of the National Marine Planning Framework, which relates to international telecommunications connectivity. These strategies play a critical role in identifying the goals and priorities for the sector and are therefore critical in informing the investment projects set out in the NDP.

In terms of our airports, a range of investments are planned and underway:

• Dublin Airport has announced a major programme of improvements ahead of what is expected to be its busiest summer ever in 2025, which includes enhanced operational capacity to manage over 120,000 passengers per day.
• The Shannon Airport Group continues to implement its investment plan, including upgrades to airport infrastructure including new R&D engineering/manufacturing units.

• The Port of Cork’s Ringaskiddy Redevelopment CCT 2 project is underway which will see redevelopment and the extension of existing CCT 1 facility to accommodate larger seas vessels and increase port capacity.
• The Shannon Foynes Port Company is progressing with capacity extensions at Shannon Foynes Port, further strengthening freight and trade connectivity.
• Dublin Port is actively implementing its Masterplan 2040, ensuring sustainable growth and long-term capacity planning.