Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 March 2025
205. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if he will provide an update on the proposed review of the National Development Plan; how the review will be undertaken; the timeframe for the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14970/25]
View answerThe Programme for Government sets out the clear ambition to prioritise the delivery of transformative, critical and growth-enhancing infrastructure over the next 5 years.
To support these goals, the Government, led by my Department, has commenced work on setting the parameters, priorities and critical milestones for the Review. The Review will be carried out by Officials in my Department, as part of coordinating NDP allocations and critically reviewing proposals for funding from individual Departments.
The Review will use an evidence-informed approach to deliver on the Government's objective of infrastructure prioritisation through:
• reassessment of investment plans and capital programmes,
• updating project costings, and
• highlighting any challenges to delivery to ensure value for money.
In doing so, the Review will consider issues, such as:
• assessing sectoral capital expenditure and delivery,
• trade-offs given construction sector capacity constraints,
• development of appropriate cost estimates using benchmarking and sufficient contingency,
• National Planning Framework and climate considerations, and
• governance structures.
It is planned that the Review will be completed in line with the summer 2025 timeline set out in the Programme for Government.
