Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 April 2022
190. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which public expenditure on infrastructure can be targeted at those areas most in need of infrastructural investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21588/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraProject Ireland 2040 sets out the Government's overarching vision for the provision of infrastructure in order to better cater for the needs of the State’s existing population and to accommodate projected population increases in a balanced and sustainable way.
Project Ireland 2040 includes the National Planning Framework (NPF), which sets the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years and sets out ten National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs) to provide a strategic framework for the selection and development of appropriate interventions to address infrastructure needs at a national, regional and local level.
Under the NPF, the three Regional Assemblies are now responsible for co-ordinating, promoting and supporting the strategic planning and sustainable development of their regions, consistent with the objectives of the NPF, through the preparation of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES). These strategies help inform the targeting of public infrastructure investment at the regional and local level.
The ten-year National Development Plan (NDP) has also been put in place to underpin the implementation of the NPF and to support the development and meet the infrastructure needs of all counties and regions, including both urban and rural areas. The NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities in infrastructure which have been identified by the relevant funding departments as critical to the delivery of the NPF vision.
My Department is responsible for publishing the NDP and jointly monitoring its delivery. As part of the most recent update to the NDP, my Department coordinated the inputs from the relevant funding bodies and conducted supporting analysis, such as an assessment of the environmental impacts of infrastructure investment proposals. Within this framework the funding departments and agencies identify infrastructure needs relating to their own sectoral strategies and goals and prioritise projects accordingly.
Finally, my department is responsible for issuing and maintaining capital investment guidance at a central level within the Public Spending Code (PSC). The PSC provides a framework for the appraisal, planning and delivery of capital investment projects. These guidelines help ensure public infrastructure projects are selected, designed and delivered in a manner that meets and is proportionate to the identified needs within an area and provides value for money.
