Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 June 2022
433. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the details of all projects over €100 million approved under the Public Spending Code in Galway in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30767/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for maintaining the national frameworks within which Departments operate to ensure appropriate accounting for and value for money in public expenditure such as the Public Spending Code (PSC). The Public Spending Code sets the value for money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing capital projects. Management and delivery of investment projects and public services within allocation and the national frameworks are a key responsibility of every Department and Minister.
The PSC sets out the oversight and approval process for public expenditure proposals, which are incremental in nature, progressing through Decision Gates (0-3) in terms of a project lifecycle as outlined below.
The Decision Gates are as follows:
- Decision Gate 0 – requires a Strategic Assessment Report (SAR)
- Decision Gate 1 – requires a Preliminary Business Case (PBC)
- Decision Gate 2 – requires a Detailed Project Brief and Procurement Strategy
- Decision Gate 3 – requires a Final Business Case (FBC)
Government approval is required for proposals with an estimated cost of over €100m. Government approval is required at:
- Preliminary Business Case – Government approval must be secured at Decision Gate 1.
- Design & Planning and Procurement – Government approval must be secured at Decision Gate 2 to proceed to tender.
- Final Business Case – Government approval must be secured at Decision Gate 3 to award the contract.
My Department, while responsible for maintaining the PSC, is not the approver for projects under the PSC. Therefore, we do not hold data related to details of projects approved under the Code.
For an extensive list of projects that are currently planned as part of Project Ireland 2040, the Deputy might consider the Investment Projects and Programme tracker, which was updated in May 2022. The tracker provides a composite update on the progress of all major investments with an estimated cost of greater than €20 million, including the location of the projects where possible. The tracker includes a number of major projects directly related to Galway. The tracker also includes a facility to search by county and user-friendly dashboards and other information to aid interpretation of the data.
Accompanying the tracker, the myProjectIreland interactive map includes over 1,100 projects across the country and provides details on specific projects by county, including smaller investments such as schools and social housing projects. By clicking on the map on gov.ie/2040, citizens will find updated information on what has been achieved and what is planned for their own local area. The latest version of the map features a dashboard with charts, allowing citizens to see the progress being made on projects at a glance. Search facilities also allow citizens to view projects in their regional area, by city, by county or by eircode.
In addition, Regional Reports on the implementation of Project Ireland 2040 in the Northern and Western Region have been published for 2018, 2019 and 2020, with the 2021 report to be published shortly. The reports set out the regional projects and programmes, which are being planned and delivered in the Northern and Western Region as part of the public investment detailed in Project Ireland 2040, the Government’s National Planning Framework and National Development Plan. While this document does not provide an exhaustive list of all public capital expenditure in the region, it does serve to highlight the diverse range of investments being made by the State under Project Ireland 2040, including in County Galway.
The Project Ireland 2040 Regional Reports, capital investment tracker and myProjectIreland interactive map are all available on gov.ie/2040.
