Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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49. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to confirm the level of capital spending on Cork and Dublin in the years 2022 to 2024; the major capital spending plans for Cork going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40138/25]

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.

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.

Balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040. The Government has committed €165 billion of funding for capital investment under the NDP 2021-30. An additional €2.25 billion was allocated in 2024 as part of an update to the NDP which set out revised capital ceilings from 2024 to 2026. In 2025, almost €16 billion has been made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects. 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.

Since Project Ireland 2040 was first launched in 2018, the Government has overseen the delivery of many impactful NDP projects across the country, including in Cork. Major projects such as the upgrading of the Dunkettle interchange to a fully free flow junction, enhanced water quality through the Cork lower harbour main drainage project and the remediation of Haulbowline island have all been delivered, along with numerous other projects in the housing, education and health sectors. A small sample of major projects currently being implemented or planned for Cork include;

• Cork City Northwest Quarter Regeneration
• A new Elective Hospital
• Development of Cork University Hospital Surgical Hub
• Upgrading the N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy Road
• Development of the Grand Parade Quarter
• Redevelopment of Ringaskiddy Port
• Extension to Midleton Wastewater Treatment Plant, and
• The Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme