Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2026
466. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the average delay in the delivery of PPP-funded infrastructure projects of a value of over €70 million, for each of the past five years. [28726/26]
View answer468. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the average cost overrun in the delivery of PPP-funded infrastructure projects of a value of over €70 million, for each of the past five years. [28728/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 466 and 468 together.
Securing value for money is an ongoing priority for this Government and is at the heart of all decision making, at every stage of a policy, project or programme's lifecycle. Delivering value for money is about securing the efficient and effective use of public resources in the pursuit of better public services, living standards and infrastructure for the people of Ireland.
It is the responsibility of each Minister and Department who spend public funds to ensure that they are achieving value for money, and it is a matter for each Accounting Officer to ensure that capital projects for which they have responsibility are managed and delivered effectively.
The Accounting Officer of each department must ensure that rigorous processes are in place in their Department and any bodies under their aegis and that they are compliant with the Infrastructure Guidelines, the management of capital budgets overall, and the management of budgets at an individual project level.
PPPs offer an alternative model for delivering infrastructure that can be effective in particular circumstances. However, the long-term nature of the financial commitments arising under PPPs require that the use of such arrangements must be carefully planned in order to ensure that they are used to address infrastructural needs in a manner that is sustainable in the long term and which the public finances can afford, as well as providing value for money for the taxpayer. The procurement, delivery and management of PPP projects is in the first instance a matter for the relevant sponsoring authority.
My Department has not procured any projects through Public Private Partnerships in the last 5 years, so the question is not applicable to my Department.
