Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
449. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to outline plans and the timeframe to update the Public Spending Code to more fully incorporate climate impacts and indirect effects of policy decisions. [17109/23]
View answerThe Public Spending Code is the tool that the Government uses to consider the costs and benefits of the capital investment decisions it faces. As part of my Department’s enhanced mandate around the delivery of the NDP, I recently announced that the Public Spending Code will be replaced by a set of Infrastructure Guidelines. It is critical that these Infrastructure Guidelines incorporate a realistic assessment of the likely impact on greenhouse gas emissions of Government investment decisions.
The National Development Plan review committed my Department to reviewing certain elements of the Public Spending Code to ensure climate considerations are adequately incorporated. As part of this programme of works, my officials have been working with the OECD, funded by the EU Commission through DG REFORM’s Technical Support Instrument, on two aspects of public capital expenditure appraisal requirements in Ireland.
1. The model for assessing the emissions impact of infrastructure investment; &
2. The appraisal of investments that may be vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
This work will help to improve the Government’s understanding of the relationship and impacts of investment decisions on the wider environment and climate.
There has been extensive engagement with other Departments and stakeholders including an OECD fact finding mission in April 2022 and a workshop and diffusion event in January 2023.
The OECD are currently finalising their report on Strengthening Environmental Considerations in Public Investment Management in Ireland. On completion of the report, my Department will evaluate the OECD’s recommendations before considering what changes may be appropriate for the new Infrastructure Guidelines.
Over the longer term, as set out in the NDP Review, the Department will examine the role that the Infrastructure Guidelines can play in the achievement of broader environmental objectives and in support of the national commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050.
