Vol. 571 No. 1
155 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Finance the progress made to date regarding the implementation of the national development plan; if his attention has been drawn to concerns expressed by the Institution of Engineers in Ireland at the delays in the implementation of the plan; his views on the assessment of the Construction Industry Federation that it will cost up to ?20 billion to complete the plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20768/03]
I assume the Deputy is referring to the implementation of the NDP infrastructure programme via the Econ omic and Social Infrastructure Operational Programme, ESIOP, of the NDP. In the first three years of the programme – 2000-02 – significant physical and financial progress has been made in implementing the ESIOP and this is acknowledged in the recently published mid-term evaluation of the OP which is available on the NDP website www.NDP.ie. Expenditure under the programme during the first three years, at over €10 billion, has exceeded the financial projections by 6%, projects have been completed, are under way or in planning in key areas such as transport, environmental services and housing.
I have previously acknowledged that the cost of completing the infrastructure elements of the NDP will be considerably greater than originally envisaged due to a variety of factors including construction industry inflation, higher land costs and initial underestimation. I also accept that the full targeted physical output will not be achieved by end 2006. Nonetheless, the plan will see a major enhancement of the economic and social infrastructure of the State by end 2006.
The Institute of Engineers and a variety of organisations and bodies have made submissions as part of the NDP mid-term evaluation process. The results of the individual OP evaluations will feed into a high level strategic evaluation of the NDP which is being conducted by a team led by the ESRI. When this evaluation is completed, the Government will consider its findings and give its response more generally to the mid-term review of the plan. This response will take account of the ESRI evaluation, the budgetary outlook and other relevant considerations, including Structural Fund allocations over the rest of the plan and the national spatial strategy.
Question No. 156 answered with Question No. 146.
