Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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72. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under National Strategic Outcome 2 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39825/25]

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.

The NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities which will contribute towards the achievement of National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs), including NSO 2, which relates to enhanced intra-regional accessibility through improving transport links between key urban centres of population and their respective regions, as well as improving transport links between the regions themselves. Investment in NSO 2 will strength the connection between regions and urban centres.

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 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.

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,
• M11 Gorey-Enniscorthy Motorway,
• N17/N18 Gort-Tuam,
• N25 New Ross Bypass, and
• N21/N69 Limerick to Adare to Foynes.