Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 March 2018
41. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of preparing the National Development Plan 2018-2027; the cost in terms of advisers or consultants in preparation of the plan; the persons and firms involved in this regard; the amount by public agencies; and the estimated and actual costs. [11005/18]
View answerThe Government launched the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 - 2027 following a special Cabinet meeting at the Institute of Technology in Sligo on 16 February. The NDP comprises an investment programme of €116 billion, of which €91 billion relates to Exchequer capital investment and the balance of €25 billion is State-backed investment by commercial State Owned Enterprises and other State bodies.
Officials from my Department worked on the NDP in consultation with colleagues in each of the other Government Departments, along with agencies and State bodies under their aegis, all of whom contributed to the development of the NDP over recent months.
In terms of the cost of advisors or consultants in preparation of the NDP, my Department employed a company called Creative Limited, who secured the contract to design and prepare artwork for the publication. The full cost associated with the design work amounted to €4,692.45 inclusive of VAT.
To facilitate the number of copies of the NDP required in time for the launch in Sligo on 16 February it was necessary to augment our in-house printing capabilities and outsource some of the printing requirements. The contract for the additional printing at such short notice was placed through MG Creative Limited and cost €2,290.26 inclusive of VAT.
In addition to the aforementioned costs, we have an obligation under the Official Languages Act 2003, to provide an Irish version of the NDP. The tender for translating the document is currently being progressed by the Office of Government Procurement. The cost of this service is not currently available.
