Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 February 2026
100. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the specific projects under the National Development Plan that are currently behind schedule or over budget; the corrective actions being taken to ensure their timely delivery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10647/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSecuring 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 processes in place in their department/office/body (and associated agencies) are compliant with (i) the Infrastructure Guidelines, (ii) the management of capital budgets overall, and (iii) the management of budgets at an individual project level.
My own Department has a relatively limited capital budget and there are currently no projects behind schedule or over budget.
My Department is also responsible for the Infrastructure Guidelines. These set out guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects to ensure that they are completed on time and within budget. The management and delivery of individual investment projects and public services within allocation and the national frameworks including the Infrastructure Guidelines, is a responsibility of the respective Department and Accounting Officer.
As part of the capital appraisal process for projects under the Infrastructure Guidelines, Sponsoring Agents for the projects are asked to critically consider the potential schedule and cost implications of a project, which is further developed as a project progresses through the approval gates and more information becomes available. This includes detailed financial and economic appraisal, sensitivity analysis, accounting for behavioural influences such as optimism bias, consideration of appropriate levels of contingency, and detailed risk assessment.
This Government recognises the impact that delays to project implementation have on project costs and the timely delivery of critical infrastructure and has taken decisive action to address the reasons for these delays. A report published by my Department in July 2025 identified twelve key barriers to infrastructure delivery in Ireland. As a response to this, and after extensive engagement with the expert input of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, my department published the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan in December 2025. This Action Plan sets out 30 time-bound actions which will reduce costs and expedite the delivery of infrastructure projects across Ireland.
