Written Answers Nos. 81-100
82. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the way in which he and his Department plan to address delays in delivering capital projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67799/25]
View answerLast week, I published the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan. This sets out a comprehensive programme of actions to tackle delays in delivering capital projects.
The Plan sets out 30 targeted actions grouped under four pillars, each addressing a key area of reform:
The first pillar is Legal Reform. Reforms here aim to achieve a better balance towards the common good by addressing the incentives that drive a disproportionate reliance on the courts in planning and regulatory matters. While access to justice remains protected, the reforms will reduce incentives for excessive litigation, clarify rules on standing and remedies, and introduce fast-track pathways for nationally significant projects that are in the common good, through the development of new legislation.
The second pillar is Regulatory Reform and Simplification. This means identifying where regulation leads to excessive process rather than improved outcomes. It also means examining the structure of our regulatory environment, the practices applied by regulatory bodies, and how they communicate with one another and applicants. In practical terms, I think that there is scope for improved outcomes by applying parallel processes, mandating statutory timelines, and measuring the performance of our regulatory bodies
The third pillar is Coordination and Delivery Reform. This implements the reforms outlined in the Programme for Government. It means my Department assuming a more central coordination role on critical infrastructure, providing certainty to other Government Departments and utilities through multiyear funding commitments to underpin 5-year sectoral plans and reforms to the Infrastructure Guidelines. Across Government, it means driving and embedding a delivery-first culture, including, where appropriate, a balance between risk and delivery that incorporates the potential cost of delay.
The final pillar is Public Acceptance. Fundamentally, without improved public acceptance, critical infrastructure will be subject to delays, leaving broader society worse off. Government and utilities need to do a better job in promoting the social value of infrastructure to communities openly and transparently using tools like a benefits realisation framework that can demonstrate these societal benefits.
Taken together, these reforms will deliver faster approvals, shorter timelines, improved coordination, and greater public trust. They will ensure that record investment under the NDP translates into timely, cost-effective delivery of housing, energy and transport infrastructure that supports Ireland’s housing targets, climate commitments, and economic competitiveness.
83. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the level of capital spending on Cork and Dublin in each of the years from 2022 to June 2025; the major capital spending plans for Cork going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70781/25]
View answerAs part of the budgetary process each year, my Department sets overall expenditure ceilings for each Ministerial Vote Group. These are laid out at Vote level in the Budget Day Expenditure Report published in October with further detail provided in the Revised Estimates for Public Services published in December.
Following the allocation of each Ministerial Expenditure Ceiling, it is a matter for each Minister to assign funding as appropriate at programme and subhead level for their Departments and the agencies under their remit, accounting for the demands for services in different areas and regions and having regard to demographics and other relevant factors. Within this process, both current and capital expenditure are allocated on a Departmental basis and not a geographic basis.
More broadly, the achievement of balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040, which includes the National Planning Framework (NPF), which sets out the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years, along with the National Development Plan (NDP).
Since Project Ireland 2040 was first launched in 2018, the Government has overseen the delivery of many impactful NDP projects across the country, including in Cork. These projects includes the Dunkettle Interchange upgrade and new platform at Kent train station; Library improvements in Kinsale and Macroom; new wards at Mallow General Hospital; water projects in Bandon, Cork City, Cork Lower Harbour and Skibbereen; and in 2025 alone, delivering capital works for 24 schools across the county.
In Dublin, major projects include for example transport infrastructure improvements with Bus Connects Dublin, enhancing the Luas green line capacity and station works at Kishogue and Pelletstown; water and wastewater works in Ringsend, Saggart Reservoir and Upper Liffey Valley; and investment in further education infrastructure at the TU Dublin Grangegorman, Tallaght and Blanchardstown campuses, completing the Polaris Building in DCU and redevelopments of the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
The NDP Review 2025 was published on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, in line with the Programme for Government commitment. The Plan committed €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.
Arising from this, €19.1 billion in Exchequer capital investment will be provided in 2026. On Budget day, Ministers set out the capital projects and programmes that they will prioritise within their allocation in 2026.
In recent weeks, individual Ministers have developed sectoral investment plans, for priority investment programmes and projects within their additional capital allocations for delivery across the country. Considering sectoral needs and Ministerial decisions, these plans reflect Government priorities, including the National Planning Framework commitment to balanced regional development.
The plans published to date include planned investment and projects across the country, including a range of projects across transport, justice and utility services in Cork for example the Midleton Waste Water Treatment Plant Project, transport works including the N72/Mallow Relief Road, the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy, Bus Connects Cork and the Cork Area Commuter Rail, and social and affordable housing at Horgans Quay and Mahon delivering over 390 housing units.
And in Dublin, projects include finalising works at the National Children’s Hospital and supporting the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital, delivering over 1,400 new social housing units and over 1,600 new affordable housing units across the county, investment in Cloverhill Prison Accommodation and the Dublin Family Courts, and developments at the RDS arena and the Samuel Beckett Civic Campus.
These departmental sectoral plans are available on each Department's website and will provide further detail on a sectoral basis.
Progress in achieving balanced regional development and detailing the delivery of the NDP is monitored through regular updates of the Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and MyProjectIreland interactive map viewer. The capital investment 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 details projects across the country and provides details on specific projects by county, and contains smaller investments such as schools, healthcare facilities and social housing projects. Search facilities allow users to view projects in their regional area, by city, by county or by Eircode.
In addition my Department also publishes the Project Ireland 2040 Annual Report and Regional Reports highlighting achievements and giving a detailed overview of the public investments that have been made throughout the country, including in Cork. These will provide the Deputy with even further detail on delivery under the NDP to date. These and other Project Ireland 2040 related documents can be found at www.gov.ie/2040
84. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation his plans to review the provisions of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012. [70815/25]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for his question.
The Single Scheme is a statutory Public Service Career-Average Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. It was established under the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012.
The provisions of the Single Scheme are clearly set out in law. All new-entrant public servants hired after 1 January 2013 are members of the Single Scheme.
The introduction of the Single Scheme is the biggest change to public pensions since the formation of the State. It has been instrumental in ensuring the sustainability of the Public Service pension bill for decades to come. This is particularly key in the context of rising public service employee numbers.
While career-averaging pension schemes are common across the public and private sectors, Defined Benefit schemes are no longer common in the private sector, where Defined Contributions schemes are more frequent. It is generally agreed that Defined Benefit schemes are more beneficial for employees. This is due to the fixed nature of benefits, an attractive feature of the Single Scheme.
There are no plans at this time to review the Single Scheme.
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.
86. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the types of projects that will be deemed as “critical” under his new accelerating infrastructure action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70227/25]
View answerThe Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan commits to developing and publishing new legislation in quarter 1 of 2026 that will create a legal obligation for State bodies to recognise and accelerate key projects through planning, licensing, and other consenting stages in the infrastructure development cycle.
This Critical Infrastructure Bill will also explore options during drafting for incorporating statutory timelines, positive presumptions, and other measures that might reduce procedural delays. The legislation will be accompanied by governance arrangements to maintain and communicate a critical infrastructure projects list and track delivery outcomes.
Work on the general scheme of the Critical Infrastructure Bill will commence immediately. As committed to in the report, in parallel with the legislation, an administrative system that allows the Government to designate the works that are considered to constitute critical infrastructure will be developed. Through both of these strands of work, it is envisaged that Government will have the power to designate critical infrastructure.
These measures will ensure that critical projects are delivered at pace while maintaining transparency, accountability, and compliance with environmental and planning standards.
87. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan has been integrated into his broader public service reform framework, with mechanisms for cross-departmental coordination, regular Comptroller and Auditor General reporting, PAC oversight, and fiscal monitoring by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council; his plans on strengthening transparency and long-term accountability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69893/25]
View answerLast week, the Government published the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan. This is a comprehensive programme of actions designed to speed up the delivery of critical infrastructure across the State. This Action Plan responds to well-documented challenges of lengthy development timelines, fragmented processes, and rising costs. These have all been identified as major barriers to achieving Ireland’s housing, energy, and climate objectives.
The report is evidence-based. It has been built on the research and analysis of my Department, the views received during the public consultation and stakeholder engagement undertaken by my Department over the summer, and the expert input and advice from the members of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce.
There will be robust oversight of the achievement of these targets. Each sub-action within the Plan has been assigned to a specific body or number of bodies with a specific timeline attached to every sub-action. These named bodies will hold primary responsibility for the implementation of the action in question.
Regular reporting will underpin accountability, with Departments and Agencies providing updates to my Department on the progression of actions. The Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce will meet monthly to review progress and highlight any delays to implementation of actions. Regular progress updates will also be provided to the Senior Officials Group on Infrastructure and to the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure.
I note that both the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee are independent of Government in the performance of their duties and in the determination of what they examine. Similarly, as an independent body, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council may report on any aspect of Government financial practices it so chooses.
94. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the progress of the establishment of the new education therapy service. [70472/25]
View answerIn line with the programme for government commitment, the Education Therapy Service (ETS) has been established as a critical and important support for children and young people in their school environment. The ETS is an additional support for children with additional needs. It is to supplement and not replace existing children’s health and disability services. It is intended to commence initially in specials schools and rollout over time to special classes and mainstream schools.
It is anticipated that the service will commence in 45 special schools at a later stage in the 2025/26 school year. Work to identify the 45 schools for the initial phase is ongoing and it is hoped this will be complete early in 2026 to ensure that selected schools have the opportunity to engage with the ETS prior to therapist assignment. I am conscious where there are 129 special schools that there will be disappointment for those schools not in the initial phase, but it is important to remember this is the start of a new initiative which will see all schools benefit in the coming years.
I'm pleased to say that on the 28th of November, the recruitment campaign for therapists to the new ETS was launched, which it is hoped will see 90 occupational and speech and language therapists, at staff and senior grades, join the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and commence working in the selected special schools.
Further roll out of the service will occur on a phased basis with a wider roll-out in special schools commencing in the 2026/27 school year.
My department is engaging with a range of stakeholders to gather insights, identify priorities, shape how the ETS can be developed and how therapy supports can be effectively integrated within the school system.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
98. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Education and Youth when building works will commence for a school (details supplied) noting that this school is currently operating with a partial roof collapse since school year 2023-2024; when this building project is expected to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68619/25]
View answerI am delighted to advise the Deputy that approval has been given to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board to issue the Letter of Acceptance to the preferred contractor for the project to which he refers. This will facilitate the project to progress to construction in the very near future. As the Deputy is aware, the project is part of a school campus project at Kilbride, County Wicklow. It has been devolved for delivery to KWETB.
The brief for Gaelcholáiste Na Mara is to provide a new post primary school to accommodate a long-term projected enrolment of at least 400 pupils including 2 classrooms for students with special educational needs.
The brief for Gaelscoil an Inbhir Mhóir provides for the construction of a new 16 classroom primary school including 2 classrooms for pupils with special educational needs within this new Education Campus on a greenfield site in Kilbride.
In November 2024, the campus project was authorised to proceed to Stage 3 Tender stage. In Quarter 2, 2025 the Stage 3 Tender Report was submitted to the Department. In July 2025, following a review of the submission, approval was given to KWETB to issue the Letter of Intent to the successful tenderer.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the approval to issue the Letter of Acceptance to the contractor was given to KWETB yesterday, and this will allow the project to progress to construction shortly. Once appointed, a contractor programme of works including estimated completion timelines will be shared with KWETB and the Department and this information will be provided to the school authorities.
The Department remains committed to providing ongoing guidance and practical support as required. KWETB as the delivery body will continue to engage directly with the school authority to keep it fully informed of all progress.
