Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2024
842. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide the details of costings provided to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in the context of the National Development Plan 2021-2030 review conducted earlier this year; and to provide a breakdown of each project and its projected cost in each of the years 2025 to 2030. [42718/24]
View answerFollowing bilateral meetings between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform in Q1 2024, capital allocations for my Department were agreed out to 2026. Beyond 2026, there is no agreed capital allocation at this time and a process to address the 2027-2030 period will take place in due course.
As part of the revision of capital allocations out to 2026, a range of capital investment opportunities were presented to DPENDR in order to avail of a proportion of additional windfall funding of €2.25bn. My Department secured €100m in windfall funding to activate a range of Student Accommodation projects over the next three years. The NDP windfall funding will allow 493 new beds to be developed in UCD, and the progression of 405 new beds in DCU through tender stage and 116 new beds in Maynooth University to construction.
More generally, NDP capital allocation out to 2026 will enable significant investment in Research and Innovation, and will help to progress the existing pipeline of Higher and Further Education programmes, including; Higher Education Strategic Infrastructure Fund, Infrastructure Upgrade and Refurbishment Fund, Apprenticeships, Public Private Partnership Programmes, Technological Sector Strategic Projects Fund, Energy Efficiency Decarbonisation Pathfinder Programmes, Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Fund, Devolved Grants, Student Accommodation, Emergency Health & Safety Works and the FET Colleges of the Future Programme.
