Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 June 2025
969. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the infrastructure projects being built or commissioned by his Department that are currently late in their delivery; and the infrastructure projects currently over budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34098/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not, in general, directly build or commission infrastructure projects. The capital allocations made to my Department support a range of schemes that focus on the delivery of community based projects, with the relevant projects mainly delivered by local authorities. Most schemes have grant levels below €500,000 and for these the terms and conditions usually set out indicative completion dates of around 18-24 months. The Department works with local authorities to monitor delivery and shows flexibility where it is needed to ensure projects are delivered for communities. It is a matter for the local authorities to manage the contracts and specific delivery timeframes, with the focus of the Department on ensuring up to date information is provided and that we effectively manage the multi-annual allocations for each scheme. For these schemes, funding approvals are generally granted in the form of maximum agreed grant amounts, with any cost overruns beyond the final agreed amount either met by the applicant or through agreed changes to the project that reduce costs without significantly impacting the project. In certain circumstances, for example the Community Recognition Fund, where an overall funding envelope is available to a local authority for a number of projects, a given authority may balance that allocation across its projects to ensure optimum delivery, without exceeding its overall allocation.
Grant funding of greater than €500,000 is available through the Department’s Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), Libraries Development Programme and the Community Centre Investment Fund - New Builds. For the RRDF, it is typically expected that approved projects would have a lifecycle of up to 5 years from funding application, through the design and planning process and to construction completion. There are 15 RRDF construction projects that are currently being delivered where initial funding approval was received more than five years ago. It should be noted that in some instances, these projects encompass phased delivery, and so they may be open and operational but not yet fully completed. In addition, two projects under the Libraries Capital Programme have also been delayed as they form part of a larger mix-use projects. A list of these 17 projects is provided in Table 1.
|
Project Name – RRDF except where stated |
Lead Delivery Partner |
|
Limerick City Library (Libraries Development) |
Limerick City & County Council |
|
Stillorgan Library (Libraries Development) |
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council |
|
Murroe Community Hub |
Ballyhoura Development CLG |
|
Tullycross Residential Education Centre |
Western Development Commission |
|
Valentia Trans-Atlantic Cable Station |
Kerry County Council |
|
International Mountain Biking Project |
Coillte |
|
Historic Granard Motte Project |
Longford County Council |
|
Shackleton Museum |
Kildare County Council |
|
Ardee Castle |
Louth County Council |
|
Ballinrobe Regeneration |
Mayo County Council |
|
National Parks |
Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage - NPWS |
|
Ailt an Chorráin (Burtonport)/ Oileán Árainn Mhór (Arranmore Island) - Harbour to Island Regeneration |
Donegal County Council |
|
Regeneration Loughrea, Breaking Through |
Galway County Council |
|
Clew Bay Greenway Project |
Mayo County Council |
|
Kells Creative Placemaking - Courthouse Cultural Hub and Printworks |
Meath County Council |
|
Wexfordia - the New Ross Tourism Transformation |
Wexford County Council |
|
Making Baltinglass the Hub for South West Wicklow |
Wicklow County Council |
For these schemes that support larger projects, in line with the Public Spending Code, full funding approval is generally granted following an open tender process after which a greater degree of certainty on the final costs of each project can be provided. On a limited number of occasions, the Department has subsequently granted funding in addition to that agreed at full funding approval stage. This has related to, for example, inflationary costs in line with the OGP's 2022 amendments to the Capital Works Management Framework, supply chain issues arising from Covid 19 or for unforeseen costs including, for example, those arising from an increased need for provision of utilities infrastructure. The Department must maintain this flexibility where unforeseen events mean that a project justifiably requires additional funding to ensure delivery for communities. Such projects are considered on a case-by-case basis. Table 2 details the projects, both completed and in progress, (17 RRDF projects and 2 Libraries Development projects) which have been granted additional funding above that approved at full funding stage.
|
Project Name |
|
Vandeleur Estate |
|
Multifunctional Performance Auditorium at Cnoc na Gaoithe Cultural Centre, Tulla |
|
Briery Gap Theatre and Library |
|
The Yard, Abbeyshrule - Community and Economic Hub |
|
Trim Library and Cultural Centre |
|
Edenderry Regeneration - Phase 1 |
|
Ireland's Global Garden - Mount Congreve Estate |
|
Murroe Wood Community Hub Project. Limerick |
|
Castleblayney Ridge Business, Enterprise and Technology Centre |
|
Castleblayney Public Realm and Library |
|
Virginia Civic Centre Project |
|
Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum |
|
The Junction |
|
National Centre for Surfing Excellence |
|
Life Sciences Innovation Hub Roscommon |
|
An Chistin Project Roscommon |
|
An Rioga Roscommon |
|
Kilkenny City Mayfair Library |
|
Portlaoise Library |
