Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2019
169. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when his attention was drawn to the fact that there will be labour shortages for major capital projects in 2019 which will require a review of the public expenditure guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3064/19]
View answerMeasures to address potential capacity constraints in the construction sector have been a priority for a number of years now.
A mid-term review of the 2016-2021 Capital Plan was published by my Department in September 2017. That review noted that the scale of increase in public capital spending will accentuate capacity pressures for that sector. The review highlighted the priority of reinforcing existing initiatives to meet the skills and capacity needs of the sector and support its strategic development in line with medium and long-term requirements of the Irish economy. To that end, initiatives are ongoing in the Department of Education and Skills, and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.
Furthermore, in my own Department and as announced in the NDP, a Construction Sector Group has been established to ensure regular and open dialogue between Government and the construction sector. The CSG is made up of each of the key segments of the industry along with officials from relevant Departments and Agencies. One of the main elements of the CSG's remit is the supply of necessary skills and measures enhancing capacity. The group met twice in 2018 and will shortly finalise its work programme for 2019.
The newly established Investment Projects and Programmes Office in DPER will play an important role in strengthening the appraisal and evaluation of investment projects and programmes and to ensure that public capital investment is efficient and value-for-money. This will require the operation of the project appraisal and evaluation arrangements set out in an improved Public Spending Code as recommended by the 2017 IMF Public Investment Management Assessment (PIMA). A review of the Public Spending Code is underway to ensure best practice and reflect leading international practice in major project appraisal and planning.
