Vol. 546 No. 1
146 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the extent to which he expects the target set for and by his Department in the national plan to be achieved within projected time limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31323/01]
The national development plan provides for an investment of approximately £24 billion – 30 billion – at current prices in the development of economic and social infrastructure over the period 2000 to 2006. Of the total planned investment, approximately £19 billion – 24 billion – is for infrastructure programmes coming within the remit of my Department, including national and non-national roads, water and waste water, housing, waste management and urban and village development. Satisfactory progress is being made by local authorities and the National Roads Authority on the implementation of these programmes. Expenditure on these programmes in 2000 amounted to £1.75 billion – 2.222 billion – which was in line with NDP targets. Good progress has been maintained in 2001; provisional figures indicate that combined expenditure to the end of September 2001 on national roads, housing and water services amounted to £1.237 billion – 1.571 billion – or 62% of projected expenditure for 2001 as a whole. A Supplementary Estimate, will benefit the following services: national roads will get an additional £95 million – 121 million – and water services will get an additional £63 million – 80 million.
The abridged Estimates for my Department for 2002, published on 15 November, together with the additional allocations announced in the budget, provide for an increase of over 18% in 2002 in spending by my Department over the 2001 revised Estimates provision. Taking account of the already unprecedented volume of investment in NDP infrastructure programmes this level of funding will ensure a continuation of activity at a high level under these programmes. This continuing high level of capital investment reflects the Government's commitment to the implementation of the NDP, in particular the infrastructure elements of the plan that are crucial to future competitiveness and social progress.
