Under the recently announced National Development Plan, over 1 billion euro in capital expenditure has been allocated to my Department between 2021 and 2025.
The high-level, strategic capital investment priorities for my Department are set out in sectoral investment plans, including Investing in our Culture, Language and Heritage;
Linking People and Places; the National Sports Policy; the Audiovisual Action Plan; and Fáilte Ireland's Platforms for Growth, as well as being informed by cross-Government policies and strategies including the Climate Action Plan, Our Rural Future and the National Planning Framework.
My Department’s capital investment is centred on three high level objectives for the Department’s sectors:
- to promote Economic Recovery and Resilience
- to support Wellbeing and Social Cohesion
- to enhance Sustainability in its sectors and Guardianship of our unique cultural, linguistic and sporting heritage
My Department’s capital plan is also comprised of three strands of activity:
- Major capital projects;
- Capital investment and infrastructure programmes; and
- Capital grant schemes.
Major capital projects under my Department’s aegis are appraised, planned, implemented and evaluated in line with the Public Spending Code and best practice guidance outlined in the Capital Works Management Framework published by the Office of Government Procurement.
While the majority of these capital projects are moving through appraisal stages, a number of projects are at implementation stage or are nearing implementation stage. For some projects, my Department supports the early completion of on-site investigative works as part of the preparation of a Preliminary Business Case, in order reduce risk and provide greater cost certainty. In these cases some on-site works take place prior to project implementation.
The table below lists my Department’s major projects that are currently at appraisal stage, or for which preliminary work has taken place, or on-site works are in hand or proposed, and expected delivery timeframes where applicable.
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Project
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Status
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National Archives
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Final Business Case approved. Ready to commence implementation/construction phase. The project will deliver a bespoke environmentally controlled archival repository to international high standards, protecting and future proofing our national archives for generations to come.
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National Library of Ireland
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Phase 1 – the development of a new on-site book repository 4,000 linear metres of storage and removal of collection from the Victorian West Wing to facilitate future redevelopment– completed.Phase 2a recently completed and preparatory work for phases 2b and 3 underway.
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National Gallery of Ireland – Phase 4(a)
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Design and investigative work underway for Phase 4(a) – 88-90 Merrion Square. The project will create a new entrance to the Gallery, restore and enhance the Gallery’s library and create fit for purpose facilities for gallery administration, curation and research.
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Crawford Art Gallery
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Planning and design phase underway with the recent appointment of the design team. The project will create a flagship cultural institution in Cork city, protecting the collection, enhancing the visitor experience and contributing to the regeneration of the city centre.
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National Concert Hall
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Preliminary Business Case submitted, preparing for planning permission process. The project will redevelop the Earlsfort Terrace site including a refurbished and expanded main auditorium, addressing deficits in musicians and administrative facilities and a reorganisation of public facilities.
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Chester Beatty Library
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At Preliminary Business Case stage with investigative works being prepared. The project will deliver a reinvigorated museum experience enhancing the capacity of the institution to show and protect its unique collection on its historic Dublin Castle site.
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Abbey Theatre
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At Preliminary Business Case stage. This project will deliver a landmark building to house the National Theatre and address the longstanding shortcomings of the current building, while also contributing to the regeneration of the inner city/north quays.
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NMI-Natural History Museum
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Following the completion of significant investigative works, the preliminary Business Case has been submitted for a refurbishment project which will address major access, structural and other defects in the building, while preserving the unique Victorian museum experience and its collection. A parallel project in respect of the roof is also being progressed. Partial decant of the upper balcony has been completed and scaffold alterations and internal crash deck installation have commenced.
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National Gallery of Ireland – Phase 4
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The preparation of a Strategic Assessment Report is underway for the completion of Phase 4 of the NGI Masterplan.
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Irish Museum of Modern Art
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At Strategic Assessment stage.
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Royal Irish Academy of Music
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Work commenced in 2020 and due for completion in 2022.
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National Velodrome and Badminton Centre
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A key project in achieving the objective of the National Sports Policy to support high-performance athletes and critical infrastructure for the National Sports Campus. The project has completed all preliminary appraisals and is at Final Business Case stage.
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10 Harcourt St - Irish Language Centre
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Redevelopment this historic property on Harcourt Street to create a flagship Irish language and cultural centre to support the growing Irish language community in Dublin. The project is currently at Final Business Case Stage.
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My Department is also progressing a range of other initiatives under the other two strands of investment activity (grant schemes and investment programmes) which are delivering improved tourism, cultural, sporting and linguistic infrastructure and investment to communities across Ireland. Key programmes include the Cultural Capital Scheme, the Arts and Culture Capital Scheme, the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme, the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund, and the Gaeltacht and Language Support Schemes.
In addition to this, my Department is working with bodies under its aegis like Screen Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Fáilte Ireland and local authorities on a broad range of projects, programmes and schemes to enhance our tourism, culture, art, Gaeltacht, sport and media infrastructure.
