Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 March 2023
121. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform how departmental structures and processes are being revised to strengthen the delivery of vital infrastructure under the national development plan, in particular in relation to achieving balanced regional development, and how projects may be prioritised to maximise efficiency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10265/23]
View answerThe National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 (NDP) published in October 2021 provides a detailed and positive vision for Ireland over the next 10 years, and delivers total public investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030. In 2023, over €12 billion will be made available from the Exchequer for investment in public capital projects, which will provide more schools, homes, hospitals and other pieces of vital infrastructure across Ireland.
It is important to note that my Department’s role in the development of the NDP was to engage with Departments individually to set the overall capital allocations for sectors. However, each Minister must determine how expenditure within their Departmental allocations is distributed to sectoral priorities, programmes and projects to reach our shared Project Ireland 2040 ambitions.
As you are aware, my Department has been renamed to give an additional focus on the delivery of the NDP and to assist Departments in delivering on their much needed priority projects. I am looking at all the policy levers and supporting structures at our disposal that could support the delivery of critical projects as well as working with colleagues across Government to remove any potential barriers that are impacting on delivery. This work will focus on how projects are approved and appraised by the Government and Government Departments, the public procurement procedures required to comply with EU regulations under my own remit, and identifying capacity and capability gaps across the public sector and working to bridge these gaps.
Ensuring Value for Money for the Irish taxpayer remains a key priority for my Department while still supporting project delivery. In terms of the appraisal of major projects, external scrutiny will still be required through the application of the External Assurance Process and an assessment of the Major Projects Advisory Group prior to a Government decision. These steps are essential in ensuring rigour in project assessment and progress of ongoing developments.
In addition to focusing on public sector delivery capability, my Department will continue to work closely with the construction sector through the Construction Sector Group to improve productivity and delivery capacity. Important initiatives have been launched and supported through the Construction Sector Group in recent year including the Build Digital Project to digitise the sector, Construct Innovate to provide cutting edge research and the Demonstration Park for Modern Methods to showcase innovative building techniques.
Balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040. The investment strategy that the Government has set out in the NDP will have a transformative impact on the future of our employment opportunities, economic development and regional growth. It will not only deliver the infrastructure requirements for a growing population but will also sustain wages and jobs, modernise our construction sector and allow for regionally balanced growth across the country.
