Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
85. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the progress to date under National Strategic Outcome (NSO) 5 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; the additional funding allocated under this NSO following the review of the NDP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70594/25]
View answerAs Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. Each Minister is responsible for deciding on the priority programmes and projects that will be delivered under their remit within the NDP and for setting out the timelines for delivery.
In the 2021 NDP review, the Government originally committed €165 billion in capital investment for the period 2021-30, and subsequently agreed to additional funding of €2.25 billion in March 2024 for 2024-2026.
The revised National Development Plan, published in July, set out €275.4 billion in public capital investment to 2035 – the largest and most significant capital injection in our economy in the history of the State. Following the agreement of the revised NDP in July 2025, annual sectoral capital allocations have now been set out for 2026 to 2030.
I am pleased to give an update on National Strategic Outcome (NSO) 5 which relates to a Strong Economy, supported by Enterprise, Innovation and Skills. This NSO highlights the importance of a competitive, innovative and resilient enterprise base to provide high-quality jobs and employment opportunities for people to live and prosper in all regions.
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) received an enhanced NDP capital allocation of €3.68 billion for 2026–2030. This investment is designed to support transformative programmes in enterprise, innovation, and tourism, aligned with NSO 5’s objective of building a strong, competitive economy supported by enterprise, innovation, and skills. DETE will be publishing their Sectoral Investment Plan shortly.
In the Higher Education sector, a number of programmes and projects continue to be advanced to deliver on ambitions for Ireland’s higher education sector as outlined in NSO 5. The Department of Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) published the Tertiary Sector Capital Investment Plan 2026–2030 which outlines investment to expand capacity, modernise infrastructure, and strengthen Ireland’s position as a global leader in talent development, cutting-edge research, and innovation
Some examples of projects currently being implemented under NSO 5 in the Higher Education sector include:
• Expansion and upgrading of the Tyndall National Institute in Cork.
• Munster Technological University (Cork) Learning Resource Centre.
• IADT Digital Media Building which will include computer labs, design labs and classroom spaces.
Further details of projects and programmes under NSO 5 can be found in the Sectoral Investment Plan on the DFHERIS website and in the Project Ireland 2040 and in the latest Project Ireland Capital Project Tracker, which I published in May 2025. This tracker provides a composite update on the progress of all major investments with an estimated cost of greater than €20 million. Accompanying the tracker, the myProjectIreland interactive map provides detailed information on projects across the country, including smaller investments such as schools and cultural and sporting amenities. The map allows users to search by city, county, or eircode to view projects in their local area.
I also would like to advise the Deputy that the Project Ireland 2040 Annual and Regional Reports highlight achievements and give a detailed overview of the public investments that have been made throughout the country, including detail from across Government on the national strategic objectives. The forthcoming Project Ireland 2024 Annual and Regional Reports will provide full and up to date detail on delivery of the National Strategic Outcomes.
