Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 6

Written Answers. - National Development Plan.

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

53 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance if the interdepartmental working group on the implementation of the provisions of the national development plan has met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26910/99]

Minister for Finance (Mr. McCreevy)

I understand that the Deputy is referring to the cross-departmental team which is mentioned in chapter 4 of the national development plan as supporting the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructural Development, including Public Private Partnership.

I refer the Deputy to the Taoiseach's reply of 30 November 1999 to a number of questions regarding the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructural Development, including Public Private Partnership, in which he stated that this committee. which he chairs, includes the Tánaiste, the Ministers for Finance, Public Enterprise, Environment and Local Government, and Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and the Attorney General. The general purpose of the committee is to oversee the delivery of key infrastructure in the context of the NDP.

The cross-departmental team which assists the Cabinet committee is drawn from these Departments. The team's terms of reference are to develop and oversee the implementation of a framework for action on infrastructure and, in particular, to bring forward proposals to deal with planning approval issues to reduce delays in the delivery of infrastructure. The team has held eleven meetings to date. During the summer, the team produced the "Framework for Action on Infrastructural Development, including Public Private Partnership" which was approved by the Cabinet committee in September and, subsequently, by the Government. The key elements of this framework have been included in the NDP and copies of the framework itself were laid before the House on 24 November. In addition, I have established a special unit in my Department to drive the delivery of the infrastructure investment programme in the NDP. This unit is working in close co-operation with the crossdepartmental team.

The team is currently working on advancing the proposals in the framework for action and will be reporting regularly to the Cabinet committee. I believe that the work of the Cabinet committee and the supporting cross-departmantal team will have a real impact on the timely and efficient delivery of the key infrastructural investment in the NDP.