Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021
302. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which he is of the view economic recovery is likely to spread across the island of Ireland with regard to the National Development Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52861/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recently published National Development Plan (NDP) provides a detailed and positive vision for the whole of the country over the next 10 years, and sees total investment of €165 billion over the period 2021-2030. The NDP will support economic, social, environmental and cultural development across all parts of the country under Project Ireland 2040, in parallel with the National Planning Framework (NPF) which sets the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years. The revised NDP has been drafted very much as a response to economic recovery from the pandemic with this Government recognising the value and role of infrastructure investment across the country.
The alignment of the NDP and NPF under Project Ireland 2040 creates a unified and coherent plan for the country by ensuring our investment strategy supports spatial planning behind a shared set of strategic objectives for rural, regional and urban development and will strengthen the link with the new Climate Action Plan and other sectoral policies.
Departments will continue to develop strategic investment frameworks in line with the National Planning Framework to ensure investment is regionally spread. The data examined shows a clear spread in the number of investment projects across the three Regional Assembly areas largely in line with the NPF growth targets. The Project and Programmes Tracker and interactive map myProjectIreland was published alongside the National Development Plan in early-October 2021 and provides a composite update on the progress of Project Ireland 2040. The following details some high-level statistics on the regional spread of projects contained with the Project and Programmes Tracker and the MyProjectIreland Map:
Project and Programmes Tracker (376 Projects and 133 Programmes, mostly over €20m)
- Eastern/Midlands - 181 Projects (21 over €100m)
- Southern - 122 Projects (12 over €100m)
- North and West - 55 Projects (8 over €100m)
- Nationa l- 18 Projects (7 over €100m)
MyProjectIreland Map (includes 947 Projects)
- Eastern/Midlands - 396 Projects
- Southern - 324 Projects
- North and West - 234 Projects
The regional spread broadly echoes the National Planning Framework and recognises the importance of balanced regional development. The regional reports for 2020, also published alongside the NDP, further show the breadth of investment across the country.
