Written answers

Thursday, 17 July 2025

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

National Development Plan

Photo of Ryan O'MearaRyan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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41. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under National Strategic Outcome 9 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39787/25]

Photo of Jack ChambersJack 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 the National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs), including NSO 9 which relates to the Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and other Environmental Resources. This NSO highlights the importance of sustainable water resources to the implementation of the National Planning Framework in order to underpin our environmental and economic well-being into the future. Investment in the water and wastewater network will support environmental and economic well-being, and deal with population growth and the effects of a changing climate.

The relevant sectoral strategies under this NSO are the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025, Uisce Éireann’s National Water Resources Plan and the Government’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. These strategies play a critical role in identifying the goals and priorities for this area and are therefore critical in informing the investment projects set out in the NDP.

In terms of water management a range of investments are planned and underway under the NDP. Some recently completed projects include:

  • The new water treatment plant at Arklow
  • The new trunk watermain from Ballycoolin to Swords
  • The Ringsend Water treatment plant
  • The Old Connaught Woodbrook water supply scheme and
  • The upgrade to the Liscanton Water treatment plant in Navan
Under NSO 9, 2023 saw Uisce Éireann deliver the highest level of investment in water and wastewater services in its history, with €1.372 billion invested to fund critical infrastructure projects

Further details of projects and programmes being delivered under NSO 9 can be found in the capital investment tracker provides a composite update on the progress of all major investments with an estimated cost of greater than €20 million. Accompanying the tracker, the myProjectIreland interactive map details projects across the country and provides details on specific projects by county, and contains smaller investments such as schools and social housing projects. Search facilities also allow citizens to view projects in their regional area, by city, by county or by eircode.

The Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and myProjectIreland interactive map are all available on gov.ie/2040.

Photo of Seán Ó FearghaílSeán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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42. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update on the progress made to date under National Strategic Outcome 4 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39689/25]

Photo of Jack ChambersJack 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 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.

NSO 4 – Sustainable Mobility aims to invest in high-quality sustainable mobility to improve the quality of life of all our citizens, support our transition to a low-carbon society and enhance our economic competitiveness. The Department of Transport published the National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland (NIFTI) in 2021 which sets out the prioritisation for future investment in the land transport network.

The right transport investment helps to deliver high-quality travel and supports positive outcomes for society, the environment and the economy. Investment in NSO 4 projects to be delivered in support of Project Ireland 2040 over the coming years include the DART+ Programme, which is a series of projects that will create a full metropolitan area DART network for Dublin with all of the lines linked and connected. The Dart + Coastal North received consent for approval in May 2024 and is currently going through the planning process.

BusConnects is an investment programme to fundamentally transform the bus systems in our major cities, so that journeys for passengers by bus will be fast, reliable, punctual, convenient and affordable. There are 12 bus corridor applications for Dublin with construction on the first of these routes from Liffey Valley to City Centre due to start at the end of this year.

The National Transport Authority is in the process of developing cycling plans for each county under the CycleConnects plan.

Further details of projects and programmes being delivered under NSO 4 can be found in the latest capital investment tracker, which I published yesterday and provides a composite update on the progress of all major investments with an estimated cost of greater than €20 million. Accompanying the tracker, the myProjectIreland interactive map details projects across the country and provides details on specific projects by county and contains smaller investments such as schools and social housing projects. Search facilities also allow citizens to view projects in their regional area, by city, by county or by eircode.

The Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and myProjectIreland interactive map are all available on gov.ie/2040.

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