Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 April 2026
25. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the position regarding investment in critical infrastructure in the Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27573/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra82. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation for an update on the infrastructure projects currently being undertaken in Dublin mid-west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27572/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 25 and 82 together.
As 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. Furthermore, while the achievement of balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of the National Planning Framework (NPF) which sets out the overarching spatial strategy for the next twenty years, along with the National Development Plan, expenditure is allocated by sector. 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.
The Programme for Government set out the clear prioritisation for the NDP Review to ensure that investment can be maximised in the coming five years for strategic infrastructure. This includes the key energy, water and transport networks on which all future development relies. This is critical to allow Government to meet the additional 300,000 homes target and to support competitiveness. These sectors, electricity, water and transport, were further defined as critical infrastructure in the Accelerating Infrastructure Actions Report published last December.
Since Project Ireland 2040 was first launched in 2018, the Government has overseen the delivery of many impactful NDP projects across the country, including critical infrastructure in Dublin – for example several social housing projects in Balgaddy, Clonburris, the Nangor Road, Kilcarbery Grange and Aylmer Heath. The north Clondalkin community library. A residential care centre in Newcastle. The provision of a storage reservoir in Saggart.
Departments have published sectoral investment plans setting out the capital projects to be prioritised from 2026 to 2030. These plans provide visibility of the delivery pipeline, giving construction firms the certainty they need to invest in hiring, training, and scaling their operations. This multi-year approach is designed to support industry planning and ensure that regional capacity can grow in line with demand.
The published sectoral plans are available on each Departmental website and include planned investment and critical infrastructure projects across the country, including a range of projects in Dublin such as
• DFHERIS upgrade to the Clondalkin Further Education and Training Centre through the Department’s Strategic Infrastructure Upgrade Programme
• Uisce Éireann are currently upgrading the wastewater infrastructure at Tobermaclugg to support future growth and development in Lucan
• A new school building, Scoil Chrónáin, in Rathcoole.
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. These will provide the Deputy with even further detail on delivery under the National Development Plan to date. These and other Project Ireland 2040 related documents can be found at www.gov.ie/2040
