From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
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The Minister for Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe T.D., today announced an update on National Development Plan (NDP) delivery and capital expenditure for Q1 2024.
As part of a package of reforms to boost NDP delivery announced in 2023, the Minister committed to keeping the Government informed on NDP delivery throughout 2023 and 2024. This week the Minister presented the fourth Memorandum in this series to Government, updating on NDP delivery and progress on capital expenditure for the first quarter of 2024, including:
• The Memorandum sets out the capital expenditure position at end March 2024, in line with the agreed Government procedures for keeping expenditure under review. The figures show that cumulative net capital expenditure to end-March 2024 was €1,727 million, €271 million behind profile but €549mn ahead of the end-March ’24 position. The Minister emphasised the need for Ministers and their Departments to be proactive in managing their capital programmes to optimise NDP programme and project delivery in line with projected expenditure.
• This year, the Government has taken major steps in accelerating the delivery of critical infrastructure projects. Following the conclusion of more than 30 bilateral meetings which took place from January to March between the Minister and his Ministerial colleagues, the distribution to Departments of an additional €2.25 billion of windfall corporation tax receipts over the period 2024-26 was agreed by Government on March 27th. The additional €2.25 billion builds on the existing funding of €165 billion already available under the NDP and it will mean more schools, housing, transport and healthcare projects can be progressed and delivered across all areas of the country.
• Consideration of the revised NDP ceilings for Departments was also informed by an independent review of the NDP to date commissioned from the ESRI by the Minister’s Department. This report was published by the ESRI in January 2024.
• As Chair of the Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board, the Minister’s primary focus is on addressing bottlenecks to NDP delivery. In January this year, the Minister chaired a meeting where a range of issues such as the backlog in planning applications and the restructuring of An Bord Pleanála to An Coimisiún Pleanála were discussed.
Speaking today, Minister Donohoe said:
"The National Development Plan (NDP) is central to delivering the vital infrastructure we need to support our future economic and social requirements, as well as our climate change commitments. I was pleased to inform Government this week of the progress we have made this year in ongoing initiatives to drive delivery of the NDP. I will continue to update the Government regularly on progress, in line with the mandate for NDP delivery which is now an integral part of the work of my Department.
"The overall level of capital funding is at an all-time high. In 2024, €13 billion is being made available for investment to provide more schools, social housing schemes, roads, Garda stations, Primary Care Centres and libraries that will make a real difference in delivering better public services.
"Since Project Ireland 2040 was first launched in 2018, the Government has overseen the delivery of many impactful NDP projects across the country including major third-level building projects such as the new university campus in Grangegorman as well as better transport links including upgrades on the N4 from Collooney to Castlebaldwin, from Gort to Tuam on the N17/N18 and the Dunkettle Interchange Upgrade.
"The Government is committed to continuing to deliver our ambitions in line with the NDP and to communicate in a transparent manner the steady and significant progress being made in the delivery of the various projects and programmes under the NDP. Last week I was delighted to be at the new Teaching Building which is under construction at the TU Blanchardstown campus to launch my Department’s updated capital tracker and map which showcase the many examples of NDP delivery success that the Government has overseen. Clear communication on NDP delivery is also important for the construction and built environment sectors to have certainty in terms of the pipeline of work.
"In addition to the €165 billion funding under the NDP, I was pleased to reach agreement with my Ministerial colleagues last March on the distribution of an additional €2.25 billion of windfall corporate tax receipts, which we are committing to shovel-ready capital projects up to 2026. Over 2024 to 2026, this will support the delivery of critical infrastructure such as BusConnects, Dart+, Cork Commuter Rail, additional acute hospital beds, new and upgraded primary and secondary schools, and the enhanced rollout of social, affordable and cost-rental housing.
"I look forward to further success in NDP delivery over the coming years as we reshape our country’s economic and social project by delivering Project Ireland 2040 in a sustainable and climate friendly manner, thus enabling a low-carbon future.”
ENDS