Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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35. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps being taken to ensure that record capital investment under budget 2025 leads to timely infrastructure delivery, particularly in high-growth areas like Kildare North; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60051/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the budgetary process each year, my Department sets overall expenditure ceilings for each Ministerial Vote Group. These are laid out at Vote level in the Budget Day Expenditure Report published in October with further detail provided in the Revised Estimates for Public Services published in December.

Following the allocation of each Ministerial Expenditure Ceiling, it is a matter for each Minister to assign funding as appropriate at programme and subhead level for their Departments and the agencies under their remit taking into account the demands for services in different areas and regions, having regard to demographics and other relevant factors. Within this process, both current and capital expenditure are allocated on a Departmental basis and not a geographic basis.

More broadly, the achievement of balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040, which includes the National Planning Framework (NPF), which sets out the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years, along with the National Development Plan.

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 North Kildare such as the widening of the M7 Naas to Newbridge bypass, the Sallins bypass, Maynooth University Technology, Society and Innovation Building, a new 1,000 pupil post-primary school in Naas Community College and a Naas Library. Numerous smaller projects have also been delivered or are planned for North Kildare including in the housing, education and cultural sectors.

To accelerate project delivery across the country, a new Infrastructure Division in my Department and the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce have been established to identify potential reforms to remove barriers to the delivery of strategic infrastructure while continuing to ensure value for money for the Exchequer.

The NDP Review 2025 was published on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, in line with the Programme for Government commitment. Individual Ministers are currently developing their sectoral plans, for priority investment programmes and projects within their additional capital allocations for delivery across the country. In considering sectoral needs and Ministerial decisions, these plans will reflect Government priorities, including the National Planning Framework's commitment to balanced regional development. It is expected that the sectoral plans will be published by end-November.

Progress in achieving balanced regional development and detailing the delivery of the NDP is monitored through regular updates of the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and MyProjectIreland interactive map viewer. 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, healthcare facilities and social housing projects. Search facilities allow users to view projects in their regional area, by city, by county or by eircode.

In addition my Department also publishes the Project Ireland 2040 Annual Report and Regional Reports giving a detailed overview of the public investments that have been made throughout the country, including in North Kildare. These and other Project Ireland 2040 related documents can be found at: www.gov.ie/2040