Vol. 1071 No. 5
6. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation when work will be undertaken to renew the exterior protective finish of Rathfarnham Castle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39992/25]
I will not take the full time. This question is just in relation to Rathfarnham Castle and to ask the Minister for an update on it. It is a cosmetic-related question on the upgrading of the exterior of the building and the progress on this work.
I thank the Deputy. Rathfarnham Castle was built in 1583 and throughout its long and rich history has been owned by Archbishop Adam Loftus, the founder of Trinity College; Speaker Conolly; and the Jesuit Order. The castle is one of Ireland's oldest Elizabethan houses. For most of the 20th century, the castle was owned and occupied by the Jesuits. It was declared a national monument and purchased by the State in 1987. The OPW is responsible for the care and management of Rathfarnham Castle while the lands are managed by South Dublin County Council. Since 1987, the OPW has undertaken an extensive programme of conservation and restoration to secure the historic fabric of the building and has also undertaken works to improve access to the building with the installation of a lift and ramps.
As the Deputy has noted, the exterior of the castle is showing signs of wear and tear. The exterior of Rathfarnham Castle is finished with a substance called lime harling, which was last renewed in 2010. This would normally be expected to last many decades, so detailed assessments have taken place to understand the cause of the wear and tear. To address the issue in the short term, a sample of the north facade was cleaned in June 2024 to assess whether cleaning the facade was feasible and would be of benefit to the building. Cleaning and repair works are being progressed after a completed sample proved effective. This is a preventative measure to maximise the lifespan of the existing wet dash and lime finish.
This will improve the appearance of the castle.
In the longer term, however, a full refinish of the exterior is required, along with repair works to prevent this wear and tear. This is a large works project that will necessitate full scaffolding being erected around the building. However, there is a short seasonal window, along with weather conditions, in which the lime harling finish can be applied and these works are not expected to take place until 2027. Funds have been allocated to undertake this project, with a senior architect assigned to oversee the design and completion.
I thank the Minister of State. He was not in position when I got the last reply, which was this time last year. It repeated exactly what he has said, namely, a weather window would be required to carry out the works and the works would be carried out in 2025, which is this year. The reason I have asked the question is that the weather window has well and truly been with us for the past four or five months. Now, the Minister of State is saying the works will be carried out in 2027. What has changed?
To be honest, I cannot say. However, I visited the castle a number of weeks ago and saw at first hand exactly the damage caused.
I will take back with me that the Deputy got a response that it would be done in 2025 and revert to him in writing. I will pursue it because I fell in love with the castle when I went there. It is a fabulous facility.
I appreciate that. I would like an explanation as to why I was told last year it would be done in 2025 with the exact same reason in relation to the seasonality of the work.
It is imperative. The local authority took a decision recently in relation to the land that it controlled, which is in the curtilage of the castle. That was positive news about the development of the outbuildings and the creation of local infrastructure in terms of social and cultural facilities. The renewal of the facade of the castle - that cosmetic piece - is vital.
In defence of why it did not happen in 2025, and as I said in my report, it is due to weather. The type of material we use to do with the castle is all down to weather. If we do not get the weather, we cannot do it.
We had the weather.
I am not trying to cover for why it was not done but I know it is seasonal.
That is okay.
I have this right around the country where people, such as the Deputy, raise the question, but in defence of my Department, I have to say we have a very small window in which to do it. I will come back to the Deputy in writing to give it more flesh.
11. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the progress being made on plans for additional funding to Uisce Éireann to progress large-scale infrastructure projects following the review of the national development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40118/25]
We all know the issues that are impacted by Uisce Éireann. It says that delivering infrastructure can take more money. In my own constituency, even in the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, report, we have question marks in relation to everything from Cabinhill to Greenmount and Tallanstown. We need to see movement on all of this.
In line with the commitment in the programme for Government, my Department has prioritised an early review of the national development plan, NDP, which will be published in July. The aim of the review is to improve our infrastructure, particularly water, energy and transport. Prioritisation of these sectors is necessary to deliver hundreds of thousands of additional homes and to boost our competitiveness.
The review document to be published in July will feature annual capital allocations to Departments over the five years to 2030 and overall capital expenditure ceilings for the ten years to 2035. This will be followed by sectoral publications later this year detailing the particular programmes that will be funded from the NDP. While particular allocations are yet to be agreed, investment in water infrastructure is a key priority for the review.
As part of the process, Departments have also been asked to consider whether their planned programmes meet the criteria for designated environmental projects to receive funding from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. Some €3.15 billion is available from the fund for 2026 to 2030 and is part of the total NDP funding available. In addition, a climate assessment is also being carried out on projects receiving funding as part of the NDP and this will be published alongside the review document in July.
Regarding sustainable management of water services specifically, I would remind the Deputy that, since 1 January 2014, Uisce Éireann has had responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels, according to the 2013 Act. Uisce Éireann co-ordinates that with the Minister for housing. However, we recognise the funding issue, which has existed and has been publicly articulated this year in particular. Water infrastructure will be a central part of the national development plan, which we will set out next week.
I suppose we need to see that review as soon as possible. Has the Minister any information on the timeline for the sectoral allocations?
Some of what I am talking about, particularly in the case of Dundalk, falls into the bracket of projects that have been timelined. The three projects I mentioned - Cabinhill, Tallanstown and Greenmount - have had planning, plans and dates, yet their timelines have unfortunately all been put back. In the recent EPA report, we are told there are question marks over the robustness and resilience of the water supply, but also its quality. There are other issues I have raised even in the past while. We had issues in Ardee and Smarmore over the weekend and a particular issue that keeps happening in relation to Hackballscross and the water supply being picked out. In my supplementary question, I will deal with wastewater and whatever else.
There is a wider issue here. When we talk about housing, we know that planning permissions and so on are impacted by a clean water supply and our ability to deal with wastewater, and none of it is up to scratch at present.
Water and wastewater infrastructure is critical to deliver the homes that we need and to deal with the broader infrastructure deficit that exists relating to water infrastructure more generally. What we are doing as part of that is prioritising it.
The Exchequer funding of what is now Uisce Éireann significantly increased in recent years but we recognise that, to meet the level of ambition we have in housing supply in the economy, but also to address some of the deficits in regions, there needs to be a much greater level of funding given to Uisce Éireann. We are finalising that presently. What will happen in the aftermath of that is Uisce Éireann will be able to update its respective plans and delivery timelines relating to different projects. The metric will be delivery when funding has been provided over the next number of years so that Uisce Éireann is really enabled, from a funding perspective, to drive the delivery of this infrastructure. The engagement that we all will be having will be on delivery, when we have met the funding need that is required.
I hope the interaction that we have is in relation to delivery. Some of the projects I spoke about earlier have been timelined. It is a matter of ensuring that those timelines are at least met. They are timelines that have been set further back than we would have anticipated or wanted. There are particular issues.
I welcome the Minister's statement that there is need for a greater level of funding. We are not in the place we would like to be as regards infrastructure. Looking to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, the wastewater system where I live is not up to scratch and could lead to flooding. Never mind getting catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM. We have a huge amount of people who are impacted even when we have heavy rains. If we do not have capacity delivered at the south end of Dundalk, we could be looking at flooding no matter what we do as regard the CRFAM works.
As has been brought up with the Minister, Deputy Browne, by members of Deputy Chambers' own party, there is a particular issue in the sense that many planning permissions now are looking to put in interim water treatment schemes on the basis that Uisce Éireann does not have the capacity to deal with wastewater. I am talking about the likes of Haggardstown. It is obviously causing issues for a number of residents and constituents.
I thank the Deputy.
It is a matter of delivering in all this. We are not where we need to be and we need to get there.
I have two supplementary questions, 30 seconds each. I will let Deputy Farrell in first and then come to Deputy Colm Burke.
When we are talking about investment within Uisce Éireann and we know investment is desperately needed in terms of delivery of housing and so on across the State, we also need to look at the investment we are making in water infrastructure on the offshore islands. On Inis Oirr, for example, there are night-time restrictions every summer. We need to have a plan and we need to invest in the offshore islands when it comes to water. We have previously had, as the Minister will remember, issues with water on Inisbofin as well. We need to have a plan. I accept that these types of plan will not be-----
Thirty seconds.
Apologies. I did not realise.
The Minister spoke of funding for Irish Water.
More than 500 treatment plants throughout the country were built between 2002 and 2008. Many of the developers who built them have gone into liquidation or receivership. In one case in Whitechurch in Cork, raw sewage is flying out of the treatment plant into the stream. I have taken samples from it. I have been writing to Cork County Council, Uisce Éireann and the EPA for seven months. I was out there ten days ago and took samples from the stream that are totally contaminated. There are 500 of these plants around the country and we have no timeframe for when Uisce Éireann will take them over.
I echo what others have said here. In Ennis and Clarecastle in County Clare, even though the sewage treatment system is modern and new, it is already close to capacity. If we want to reach these housing targets, the first thing that needs to be done is to upgrade all of that network underground. The public will not see it and we might not get great praise or thanks for it, but it is crucial and is the key enabler. I call on Uisce Éireann to look at the situation in Ennis and Clarecastle. It is unforgivable that a few years after that system was designed and built, it is already near capacity.
I thank Deputy Farrell for raising the issue of offshore islands, Deputy Burke for raising the issue of wastewater treatment plants during the noughties and Deputy Crowe for raising the issue of underlying infrastructure. My first role as part of this is to ensure that commercial State bodies, like Uisce Éireann, are appropriately funded over the medium term. That is something we will address as part of the national development plan to be outlined next week. The second part of my responsibilities is to ensure that when a project is being progressed and has been decided upon, the life cycle of the project can happen much quicker than at present and we can deliver a project from concept to delivery in a much quicker way within our economy because the timelines at present are too slow.
Regarding specific operational issues Uisce Éireann has with the offshore islands, the wastewater treatment plants and the underlying infrastructure that all the Deputies referenced, the Minister for housing and Uisce Éireann will be able to respond on those specific details. However, there will be a significant uplift in funding for water infrastructure in the State when we outline the national development plan.
12. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if there is long-term financial planning for capital infrastructure projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40182/25]
I have met people working for State bodies involved in asset procurement for long-term infrastructure projects. One of the points they constantly raise is the lack of long-term financial planning and commitments on projects that take a long time to deliver, for example, ten years. They say that more certainty is needed and this would help improve the efficiency of delivering the projects and gain the commitment of suppliers to the projects. Can we move away from the short-term approach and put more emphasis on long-term financing and certainty?
The national development plan is the State's medium- to long-term plan for public capital investment. The current national development plan to 2030 provided for public capital investment of €165 billion over the period 2021 to 2030. Government is currently prioritising an early review of this plan, to be published this month, which will set out five-year departmental capital ceilings and additionality to 2030 and overall capital expenditure ceilings for the ten-year period to 2035.
The objective of the review is to improve our infrastructure, particularly housing, energy, water and transport. Improvements to these sectors are necessary to deliver on the core ambition for the review to fund the supporting infrastructure to enable the delivery of thousands of additional homes and to boost our competitiveness.
This reflects a planned and strategic approach to public capital investment over the next ten years. Planning and prioritisation of the funding will be guided by: the critical priorities for infrastructure investment highlighted in the programme for Government; the capacity of sectors to deliver projects and programmes within the period of the review, while being cognisant of trade-offs within and between sectors such as construction sector labour supply; the cost of proposals in the context of competing priorities and existing levels of capital funding; and the alignment of particular projects with the core focus on housing and competitiveness.
The revised national development plan will also form part of our broader structural plan and associated medium-term expenditure framework. The plan is being worked on by my Department and the Department of Finance and will reflect the strategic choices that will need to be made over the next five years in the context of tax and expenditure to ensure a balanced and sustainable fiscal outlook.
The medium-term expenditure framework being prepared by my Department will support the delivery of key social and economic priorities of Government for the period to 2030. Financial planning for capital projects also takes place at the individual project level. My Department, through the infrastructure guidelines, provides the framework through which Departments can plan.
I want to emphasise how spending on infrastructure is an investment, in that it gives a return. For example, I recently attended the opening of the new wastewater treatment plant in Arklow, County Wicklow, which cost €140 million and came in on budget. Much of that €140 million comes back to the State immediately through taxes. This plant has a capacity of 24,000 population equivalent with an expansion possibility to 36,000. This can cater for over 10,000 new houses. When these houses are built, the State will recoup much more than the €140 million investment. VAT on new houses, development levies, and the taxes and spending involved in construction will flow back to the State, before even valuing the environmental benefits.
The Deputy is right. That was an excellent project delivered by Uisce Éireann. His original question connects back to the previous question that was asked. We understand the challenge Uisce Éireann has had each year in knowing its funding position the following year and the effect that has on contractors and their delivery pipelines. We are cognisant of that in the work we are doing as part of the national development plan. In the critical strategic sectors of infrastructure, we will give a longer view for contractors to give the confidence to build a pipeline and expand particular sectors within the economy. Part of what we are doing through the national development plan is to give greater certainty on the project pipeline for the likes of Uisce Éireann and others so they can plan for projects that will come on stream in the medium term. That has been an important part of the feedback we received through the consultation we had on infrastructure.
Regarding delivery, a new infrastructure division group has recently been established. For the current national development plan, a delivery board was set up in 2018. The national development plan envisages five or four - it is not clear - additional outside experts being added. It only meets every two to three months, which seems way too seldom. I wonder how successful it has been. Another body was set up in 2012, the Irish Government Economic Evaluation Service, IGEES, which has taken on 150 analysts. By the way, this is all in the current national development plan. EY's report, entitled "Supporting Excellence", has many recommendations to help infrastructure delivery. All these groups appear worthy but I wonder if they have worked.
I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, for all the work done on flood relief programmes. The problem I have with them is the time it takes from start to finish. One, the Glanmire flood relief project, is being done in my constituency at the moment. It is nearing completion and was very well managed by the OPW. I am concerned about the one in Blackpool, which started in 2013 and, 12 years later, the most recent part has been signed off by the OPW but not by the Department. We have been waiting for more than 12 years. It is really important for that side of Cork city because very little development can take place until it is completed.
The Deputy has raised this in the committee and here in the House. As I said to him, a judicial review held up that whole scheme. We got consent and were ready to go, and then came the judicial review. Once it comes through the planning process, we will be on the ground. As I explained to the Deputy, I am working extremely hard to try to do this. He can play a part by going to talk to the people who bring these objections to see if we have done everything required so that, when it comes out, we are not faced with another objection and it is delayed again. It is unfair to say the OPW and my Department have not worked tirelessly to try to deliver this scheme. I know the pressure the Deputy is facing over the length of time it has taken. Once there is a judicial review, it holds up the entire planning process. He knows how long this has been going on and so do I. Let us see what happens in the next few weeks and then we can get working.
We will go to Question No.-----
I might just come in also. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, just dealt with one part. Part of the work we are doing is to try to accelerate and improve the project life cycle. Be they full schemes or road projects, they are taking far too long.
IGEES is deployed across Government Departments, assessing and evaluating some of the policies that have been advanced by Government. It provides external assessment to inform policy decisions we take as part of the budget process. It plays an important role and is deployed across Government, led by my Department. The NDP delivery board has been changed through the accelerated infrastructure task force, which I have established. It has a different remit in the context of reform of infrastructure delivery in the economy and oversight of those reforms and broader infrastructure delivery from the projects and the plan we will set out next week.
14. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide an overview of OPW drainage, flood protection and coastal erosion defence works that are planned to be undertaken in County Clare in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39855/25]
I thank the Minister of State for taking this question. I would like to know what plans the OPW has for drainage, flood protection and coastal erosion defences in County Clare this year.
The OPW and Clare County Council have an extensive programme of flood risk management works across Clare during 2025. Clare County Council is currently leading the delivery of flood relief schemes in County Clare in the townlands of Springfield, Kilkee and Shannon, Bunratty and Kilrush. These schemes are funded by the OPW from the Government's €1.3 billion investment in flood measures under the national development plan to 2030. Construction of the €5.2 million Springfield flood relief scheme to protect 21 properties is nearing completion. The completion of this scheme is being informed by the groundwater report.
The €8.5 million Kilkee flood relief scheme to protect 134 properties was submitted for planning during 2024 and detailed design for the construction of the scheme is being progressed. Work to finalise the design of the Shannon flood relief scheme to protect 1,400 properties is continuing and the scheme option is scheduled to be submitted for planning approval in quarter 2 2026. The OPW is working with Clare County Council on a potential flow path in Bunratty, which may increase the knowledge of the flood risk in this area to inform the feasibility study of the scheme. Clare County Council is finalising tender documents for technical consultancy services for the Kilrush flood relief scheme and plans to issue these later this year.
Since 2009, the OPW has approved funding under the minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme of €3.8 million to County Clare for some 42 projects. Clare County Council proposes to carry out coastal minor works as part of the 2025 programme at Aughinish Island, north Clare, Marine Parade, Kilkee and Ballynacally, and Newmarket-on-Fergus. The works include underpinning and strengthening of the existing sea walls and reinforcement of existing earthen embankments. Clare County Council has also appointed consultants to carry out a condition survey and performance upgrade options review of the tidal barrage at Clarecastle. Non-coastal works at Gullet Cross and Mountcashel are also due to be carried out in 2025.
I thank the Minister of State. There is a lot of positive stuff happening in the county. I will bring the Minister of State back a bit to the Arterial Drainage Act 1945. Neither of us was around at that time but some guru decided that different watercourses would be divvied up between the Board of Works, now the OPW, and local authorities. The River Inagh in north Clare comes under the jurisdiction of Clare County Council. Its budget for managing that watercourse and river is minuscule. It does not have the diggers or the heavy machinery, such as the long-reach diggers the Minister of State and I are very familiar with, that can clear out all the silt. It has none of that.
The OPW gets approximately 90% of the budget with 10% going to local authorities, yet the latter are expected to manage rivers like the River Inagh with few resources. I ask the Minister of State to consider recategorising that river. Surely in this day and age, with climate change and everything that has caused, the 1945 legislation needs to be revised.
I could not agree more. As the Deputy said, there is a lot of good and positive stuff happening in County Clare. The Department is working closely with the local authority on the local drainage scheme and it is supported by the Government, which is very important. I am looking closely at the issue the Deputy spoke about. I am looking at vegetation clearing, getting into the rivers and working with the local authorities. I hope to have good news on that in the near future. I have been working closely with local authorities and elected representatives up and down the country, all of whom face the same problem. They tell me that the rivers are never cleaned and this is not done when flooding occurs. However, it means working with the local authorities and we also have to comply with environmental rules. I am working on that and will hopefully have good news in the near future for the local authorities.
Before the Minister of State was appointed, his name was synonymous with communities fighting back against flooding. He has done stellar work in and out of politics on that. For many people in these areas, insurance is still impossible to get. The term "risk equalisation" is used when applying for health insurance. It means that all people of all ages pay a little bit of a premium so that risk is balanced across older and younger people. The same principle is now being applied by the insurance industry to homes. Between 12,000 and 13,000 homes in the south Clare area cannot get flood insurance cover. Not a week goes by in my office that we do not have to write letters of comfort, which is ludicrous. What does a letter of comfort from a TD really mean? We need to have this fully nailed down by the OPW and the Government so that if there are flood defences or an area has not flooded, the principle of risk equalisation is applied and families are given insurance cover.
A lot of property sales are falling through because once the conveyancing is done, banks will not lend capital if they see that the applicant cannot get flood insurance cover. The Government needs to take that practice to task.
I could not agree more with the Deputy on insurance. My job is to protect communities up and down the country. My officials and I hope to meet the Minister of State, Deputy Troy, on this. The Government is very much focused on this issue and we understand it. I get it, the same as the Deputy gets it. I get requests to write letters of comfort as well and I wonder what it is all about. My Department has spoken with the Minister of State's Department. We are working closely on this to see if we can deliver something.
15. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide an update on his scoping exercise for the overpayment of civil servants and Ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39499/25]
My question relates to the scoping exercise the Minister and his Department are undertaking on the overpayment of pensions to civil servants and Ministers. What is the status of that, what has been identified to date and what can he tell us about it?
As the Deputy said, she is referring to delay in addressing taxes due on retirement and anomalies in deductions of various pension contributions. A review in relation to Ministers who may have been impacted regarding contributions and additional superannuation contributions, ASCs, has been completed. Those identified are being contacted and engagement is ongoing. I understand from the National Shared Services Office, NSSO, that many recoupment plans are now in place. A review of retirees liable for chargeable excess tax and withholding tax is nearing completion and the NSSO has been in contact with individuals impacted. That work is progressing.
My Department and the NSSO have put new measures and controls in place to ensure these matters do not reoccur. Additionally, I have asked the chair of the NSSO advisory board to commission forthwith an external audit for the board and my Department of the systems and processes in the NSSO for fulfilling its role and responsibilities. The terms of reference have been finalised in consultation with me and my Department. The clear evidence of errors which has recently come to light emphasises the need to validate and provide reassurance regarding whether the NSSO is carrying out its functions in full compliance with public policy and statutory requirements. My Department is actively engaging with the chair to get this external audit up and running as a matter of urgency.
Work is ongoing with the Office of Government Procurement on a supplementary request for tender, which is expected to issue to the relevant framework members this week, ending 18 July 2025. The procurement process will involve clarification questions to be received within 21 days, with 30 days for tenders to be submitted. Work will commence following the relevant evaluation and contract negotiation process. I expect this external audit to be expedited with all due speed and to be completed as soon as practically possible. The external audit will be submitted to the chair of the board and my Department. Following that audit, I will brief the Government on the findings as soon as they are available.
People are quite worried about this. We are seeing reports that one civil servant was apparently overpaid by €280,000. The 19 former and existing senior civil servants received overpayments worth €1.4 million. I hope measures are being put in place to make sure this does not happen again. The fact that it happened in the first place is shocking. When I raised it with the Minister at a committee he said he had no concerns about recouping the money. However, when his Department was in front of the Committee of Public Accounts last week it did not seem to be certain of the timeline. It is my understanding that it was pointed out that some of these people will have 20 years to repay the money, which is a very long time. I am concerned that we will not be able to recoup all this money. This has been a major blunder.
Recruitment plans around chargeable excess tax and pension contributions are two separate issues. I agree that what happened is unacceptable. That is why we need a full external audit and that will happen.
If someone who has worked in the public service is liable for chargeable excess tax, they have 20 years on a normal basis to spread that liability once they retire. For example, if someone is retired for two years, they have the remaining 18 years to pay that liability of chargeable excess tax if it has not been paid or they have not agreed a plan to pay it over those 18 years. That is within the existing rules. The issue is when that liability is not paid or is not agreed to be spread over a particular period. The work the NSSO is doing with individuals affected is to ensure they pay the liability at the point of retirement or have a plan in place to pay it over the remaining period in accordance with the rules and procedures that exist for the public service.
On pensions contributions, the NSSO is working with anyone who is liable to ensure such contributions are made in terms of recruitment plans. Separately, it is examining the wider group impacted. There might be old payments, particularly for those in a work-sharing pattern. It is assessing that at the moment.
It is deeply concerning for most people that this is where it is. When does the Minister expect to have an outcome? Has he been able to identity exactly how this occurred? I do not mean any one person should be blamed for something like this but there must have been some system failures as well. Has the Minister got to the bottom of that? Does he expect that to come out of the report? When does he expect the report to be in the public domain?
The Minister will be acutely aware, as he prepares for the budget, that many people are struggling with the cost of living. When you do your weekly shop, the difference every week on the same bundle of goods is amazing. There is a huge impact. When people see this kind of thing, it frustrates them. Let us be frank about that. It is important this never happens again and that we have clear outcomes from the review.
The external audit will be important in assessing the wider systems processes and compliance with public policy and with the statutory position the NSSO exists within. That work will commence and be completed as soon as practically possible. The tender process is ongoing with this audit for the NSSO.
As part of budgetary preparations, we are being clear we want to make permanent, sustained and sustainable changes in the context of budget 2026 to improve public services and living standards and make a difference, particularly targeting supports at families that need them. That is the wider context for budget 2026, with broader economic uncertainty facing the country. That work is ongoing with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, in preparation for the summer economic statement. There will be engagement with all Ministers on what is possible in advance of the budget.
16. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the safeguards that are now in place to ensure large-scale public infrastructure contracts are completed on time and within budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40074/25]
I thank the Minister for taking this question. What safeguards are in place to ensure our large infrastructural projects come in on time and on budget? As we are about to embark on an ambitious national development plan review involving significant capital funding, it is timely that we set out the safeguards in place to reassure the public that we are managing the situation as effectively as possible.
I thank the Deputy. My Department has implemented several safeguards and strategic frameworks to ensure that large-scale public infrastructure contracts are completed on time and within budget. The infrastructure guidelines published in 2023 set the key requirements for project governance over a project’s life cycle. The guidelines cover the evaluation of projects and their proper planning and management once approval in principle is obtained.
The guidelines have replaced the public spending code and, significantly, have reduced the number of approval stages and streamlined the requirements for major projects, while retaining the international best practice governance and oversight arrangements already in place. These arrangements sharpen the focus on risk and cost management and reduce the compliance burden on low-risk projects, which brings Ireland into line with leading international approaches to major project delivery. The introduction of the external assurance process and the establishment of the major projects advisory group has improved the governance and oversight arrangements for major infrastructure projects.
Standard procurement and contract templates are published under the capital works management framework, CWMF, and apply to projects that are majority Exchequer-funded. There are several cost control review points set out within key stages of a project’s design evolution which utilise standard reporting templates. It is a general principle that projects to which the CWMF applies are put out to tender on the basis of a comprehensively defined set of project requirements so that tenderers can provide a lump sum price for the completion of the project. However, major infrastructure projects, due to their scale, duration and risk profile, often require bespoke contractual strategies not catered for under the CWMF. Typically, these projects use standard forms of contracts which are used internationally in order to attract as wide a field as possible to tender.
These contracts bear many similarities with the standard form of public works contract, with clearly defined circumstances where the price and date for completion may be adjusted. They typically employ comprehensive change management procedures which are adhered to by both parties. They differ from the CWMF contracts in the pricing structure and the inclusion of incentives to deliver the project on time and within budget.
I recognise significant work has been done in this area. We are about to embark on the national development plan. The current plan involves €165 billion and there will be additionality on that, which is very welcome. We will be spending significant money on water infrastructure, energy, transport, health, housing and more. It is important we rebuild public trust in our management of large-scale capital projects. Unfortunately, we have seen too many examples - the national children's hospital, the Dublin Port tunnel, the national broadband plan and so on - of significant overruns. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has commented on this.
I welcome the work of the Minister and his Department. It is critical we have robust processes in place to ensure proper cost analysis and forecasting, rigorous risk assessment and a sound legal basis for contracts, so we reduce the risk of budget overruns and projects not coming in on time and so we can rebuild public trust, which is badly needed.
I agree. Much work has been done in recent years to embed international best practice into contract management. The wider point has to be acknowledged that if things become too risk averse and no decision is made, then we do not have any delivery and have a long list of hypothetical projects that are not delivered over time. We need a balanced discussion on delivery, in addition to that on risk and cost which is sometimes the broader discussion in this House, the media and elsewhere. The metric has to be delivery and ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place in respect of guidelines and frameworks. Some of the feedback received as part of the infrastructure task force is on balancing risk. The real metric for the future of our economy will be delivery of critical infrastructure. If it sits on lists and circles around processes for decades, we cannot embed any investment. Balancing the need for safeguards against the need for delivery will be critical to delivering this Government's infrastructure ambition.
I accept the Minister's point on balancing the process. We cannot become too risk averse. I fully understand that. Delivery of large-scale infrastructural projects is critical but we have seen examples of large-scale projects that were 100% over budget. It is critical we do not repeat that. I sit on the Committee of Public Accounts and listened to the national children's hospital development board speak of the number of claims lodged, the lengthy dispute process involved and the uncertainty as to when many of these claims will be concluded. That is just one example. It is critical we strike the right balance and have a robust system in place to ensure projects can be delivered in a reasonable timeframe and with proper risk assessment. I understand the challenge with large-scale projects. They go on over a long period. We face international uncertainty and have faced inflationary conditions in recent years. I thank the Minister and Department for the work they have done. We have the opportunity to rebuild public trust and ensure we can deliver.
The Arklow wastewater treatment plant is an example of a large project being delivered on time and within budget, so we can do it.
I echo the points made by Deputy McGrath. The EU procurement rules are rather outdated. A lot of the regulation that is stifling what this country is able to do is not domestic but comes from an EU treaty. The time has come for us to be able to procure beyond the EU 27 bloc for very large projects, such as hospitals, large road projects and rail. It has repeatedly happened that projects we pitch a certain amount of money for have cost twice as much by the time they have gone through all the gateways. We need to procure beyond the European Union. I hope the Minister will be able to raise that at the Council of Ministers in due course.
Deputy Connolly has been waiting patiently. I will allow him one minute to ask a supplementary question.
I very much welcome the Minister's response. I have a similar question, Question No. 32, on the commitment in the programme for Government to review the infrastructural guidelines. One of the most frustrating aspects of being a public representative is the time it takes between the concept of a project to its delivery. I was a member of a local authority from 2004 to 2009, and my recollection is that public projects moved a lot quicker during that period than they do now. I welcome the Minister's response on the need to balance the necessity for prudence with the ambition to make sure we deliver projects. I understand the need for prudence and I am not promoting financial recklessness, but I agree with Deputy Crowe. I have found that as the financial appraisal takes place, the costs rise. One wonders about the objective at the outset in undertaking them. As promised in the programme for Government, the guidelines need to be reviewed to try to make sure delivery is made easier.
I thank the Deputies for their questions. To speak to Deputy Crowe's point, there has been a significant consultation on Ireland's procurement strategy and we will have a new national procurement strategy in the coming months. The Minister of State, Deputy Emer Higgins, is leading out on that work. Changes are taking place in the EU and we expect them to conclude during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026. I agree with Deputy Connolly that we need more balance in the broader discussion around infrastructure delivery and the metric has to be that it can advance and be accelerated while having the appropriate safeguards in place. That is the work we are doing on the project life cycle. From concept to delivery, how can we cut time out of the particular points which are creating excessive delays and impacting on communities that have an infrastructure deficit? That question is central to the work we are doing as part of the review of the national development plan and the accelerating infrastructure task force, as is how we better balance risk to promote delivery.
18. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will provide funding to tackle costal erosion and flooding in Rossbeigh, Waterville, Kenmare, Tralee, Listowel, Glenbeigh, Dooks, Cromane Lower, Killorglin and Glosha; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39792/25]
I raise the issue of coastal erosion and flooding, which are huge problems in my neck of the woods. I live by a beach called Rossbeigh in Glenbeigh, County Kerry. It is on Castlemaine Harbour. That area in particular is very problematic with global warming and high tides. When the high tides coincide with storms there are particular issues. Homes are flooded and we require funding as soon as possible.
The Government has committed to investing a sum of €81 million for the design and implementation of flood relief schemes for County Kerry. Tralee, Kenmare, Abbeydorney and Banna are all in the first tranche of schemes to be progressed, with Dingle, Killarney, Ballylongford, Listowel and Castleisland-Tullig in the second tranche.
Engineering and environmental consultants were appointed in quarter 3 2021 to deliver a flood relief scheme for Tralee. Emerging options are scheduled to be identified in quarter 4 2025 and will be made available to the public for consultation. It is expected that this scheme will be submitted for planning in quarter 4 2026.
Engineering and environmental consultants were appointed in quarter 2 2022 to deliver a flood relief scheme for Kenmare. Assessing the flood risk in Kenmare is complex and it is expected the design option will be made available to the public for consultation in mid-2026. Works on the Finnihy river were completed in early 2024 to mitigate the flood risk.
While the Listowel scheme is not in the first tranche of projects to be progressed, the OPW, through Kerry County Council, is investing €2 million for advance measures. Following a flood event in Listowel in November 2024, Kerry County Council engaged consultants to provide a report on the flood event. The findings were presented to Kerry municipal district on 30 April 2025 and are now available to the public. Kerry County Council has discussed the findings of this report with the OPW. The council recently requested the consultant to assess the delivery programme for the recommended short-term measures, including rising the embankments at Killacrim. Once complete, this assessment, which may require hydraulic modelling, will inform a meeting with the OPW in the coming weeks to discuss implementation and funding mechanisms for any viable measures. Any requirement for environmental assessments for these works will inform the timeline for their delivery.
I thank the Minister of State for that response. The towns of Kenmare, Tralee, Listowel, Castleisland and lower Killorglin all need protection works at the earliest possible date. I have been inside homes where there has been 3 ft of saltwater. Rainwater is one problem, but saltwater is a different story completely. I plead with the Minister of State to come down, see for himself and provide the necessary funding. Historically, coastal erosion and flooding were at the bottom of the priority list when it came to funding. It is about time they were addressed.
Other areas in Kerry also need coastal protection works, for example, Waterville and my local beach in Rossbeigh. Cromane is a particular problem. People there are living in fear any time a high tide and a storm coincide. They cannot sleep in their beds. This is happening too often. We are seeing more and more issues all the time. I would be delighted to welcome the Minister of State to Kerry and show him these particular areas. I have no doubt he will deliver for the people.
As I said, €81 million in investment has been given to Kerry County Council. The Deputy talked about coastal protection. Since 2009, €4.2 million has been given to the minor flood mitigation and coastal protection scheme. This also includes €2.9 million for coastal erosion work. My Department is very much working with the local authority, particularly in Kerry. We know too well the issues people are facing right around the country, not just down in Kerry. I will visit Kerry in the not-too-distant future to look at the situation and talk to people. When I was last in government I worked very closely with the local authority in Kerry and we delivered a number of projects. I look forward to looking at those and also the areas Deputy Cahill raised today. The Minister outlined major infrastructure problem areas and the backlog in delivering major schemes. I am looking at this in my Department to see if we can streamline how we deliver schemes in terms of the planning process. As I said earlier, 11 years to deliver a scheme is too long. There are constraints that we need to comply with and deliver on. I will work closely with the Deputy.
I thank the Minister of State for confirming he is coming down to Kerry. I look forward to welcoming him. There are so many areas. It is a huge problem that involves expensive work. Rock armour is very expensive, as are other lines of defence. For many of the people affected, the Minister of State is General Custer making his last stand. We are pleading with him to deliver for our county and people and to give them some sort of comfort. I am getting calls all the time. Any time a storm is forecast it is particularly worrying for young families. Their homes have been ruined before. I have seen this first hand. It is not a pleasant experience. As the Minister of State knows, it creates other problems in the context of insurance, etc. It is hugely important that we get funding. There is other areas too, including Callanafersy, Castlemaine, Keel and Inch. The area around Castlemaine Harbour is a particular issue for us. The pilot study is long completed and it went on long enough. The Covid pandemic threw it back. I am looking forward to the Minister of State coming to Kerry.
I know too well the problems people face. There is nothing as bad as getting up in the morning or going to bed at night when there is rain or wind. I know too well the suffering, worry and stress this causes whole families and the people around them. The Government is very much committed to delivering schemes. As I said, in the last few years we delivered between €68 million and €74 million.
By the end of this year, a total of €93 million will be delivered through schemes. That shows that in the few months of this Government, with the help of the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and the finances we have, we are delivering for the people.
There are backups and delays we have to work through to see, as I said at the outset, whether we can slimline the planning process to try to deliver faster for the people. I know too well what the Deputy explained today. I have seen it first hand in my town of Athlone. Now that the flood defences are almost complete in Athlone, I see the pressure that is off the people and what it does for businesses. It gives people quality of life. I look forward to meeting the Deputy in Kerry.
By the time the Minister of State has finished that tour of Kerry and gets to Kilkenny, he will be exhausted.
I will ask my line manager if he will organise a helicopter because I have had so many requests today that I will be flying.
19. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if he will ensure that the new national development plan sets an enhanced level of ambition for collaborative cross-Border public investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39837/25]
The different cross-Border programmes have been important since they were first initiated by then Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds, in the mid-1990s. There were the PEACE I and PEACE II programmes and INTERREG programmes. As the Minister, Deputy Chambers, will be aware, the PEACEPLUS programme is very important for all the Border counties, north and south of the Border. I am particularly anxious that we build on the great potential of the PEACEPLUS programme and I hope the Minister will be able to implement even more collaboration and co-operation on an all-Ireland basis in future programmes.
The programme for Government reaffirmed its commitment to the shared island fund and committed to increasing the resources available to the fund by a further €1 billion up to 2035. The shared island initiative is co-ordinated by a dedicated unit within the Department of the Taoiseach, with a focus on fostering co-operation and collaboration across the island of Ireland, aiming to build a more connected, sustainable and prosperous future. The initiative involves working with the Northern Ireland Executive and the British Government and is supported by significant investment from the fund.
Funding from the shared island fund is allocated by the Government to Departments and agencies to support the delivery of projects that implement programme for Government priorities on our shared island. These projects are developed and taken forward in co-operation with counterparts in Northern Ireland and focus on practical cross-Border collaboration in a range of areas, including key infrastructure projects, climate action, tourism, culture and research. In some cases, Departments operate programmes that offer grant and funding opportunities that are open to applications as part of the shared island initiative.
In addition to the shared island fund, as the Deputy said, the PEACEPLUS programme has a total value of €1. I billion to fund projects across Northern Ireland and the Border counties of Ireland until 2029. PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the Irish Government, the European Commission, the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. PEACEPLUS is funding regional development projects across a diverse range of investment areas, including skills, education, transport, and socioeconomic regeneration. Investments include €165 million to support replacing the train fleet for the Enterprise service and €32 million for a cross-Border water quality improvement programme.
In my discussions at the European Council of Ministers, this plays an absolutely essential role for many Border counties and is central to our broader discussions in the context of EU funding to complement the work of the shared island fund.
I thank the Minister sincerely for his reply and the particular interest he always has in cross-Border projects. It is heartening that the shared island initiative has been warmly welcomed by people of all political traditions. Different projects I have been involved in, if they have been cross-Border projects, have been funded by the shared island fund, such as the UNESCO Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark.
I had the opportunity recently to meet the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and Ms Gina McIntyre, the CEO responsible for the PEACEPLUS programme. The programme is being rolled out successfully and there are great plans to expand it. The funding allocated by the Irish Government, the British Government and the European Union is being put to good use for communities right along the Border. They are communities that need investment as they have suffered particular disadvantage. The programme is also building on the potential of advancing different projects on a cross-Border basis that would not be initiated on either side of the Border if the cross-Border dimension did not exist. I welcome the Minister's commitment to enhancing and even intensifying these projects on an all-Ireland, cross-Border basis.
I share the Deputy's ambition and focus on this critical investment to help to build peaceful and thriving communities. The fund helps to deliver economic regeneration and transformation across our island and empowers and invests in young people, embedding partnership and collaboration. The PEACEPLUS programme and the shared island fund have driven progress across many areas and we are seeing the manifestation of that capital investment in the deliver of infrastructure in some instances and also in important community projects. I met Ms McIntyre in some of my North-South engagement and I can see the critical impact the PEACEPLUS programme is having on many communities across our island. We want that work to continue and be complemented by the position we are taking with the European Union on the PEACEPLUS programme and the ten-year trajectory we have set out from a capital perspective under the shared island fund to embed this funding stream for the future.
I warmly welcome the Minister's comments and his confirmation of his Department's co-operation with the Special EU Programme Body. In all my dealings with it over the years, Ms McIntyre and her colleagues have ensured that the best value is given to the taxpayer for the major investment that has occurred and that particularly disadvantaged communities benefit from that investment.
