Speech
Minister McGrath's speech at the launch of the National Development Plan 2021 - 2030
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
Published on
Last updated on
Good afternoon Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to welcome you all to the wonderful surrounds of Páirc Uí Chaoimh and I would like to echo the comments of my colleagues and thank you for travelling today for the publication of the renewed National Development Plan as part of Project Ireland 2040 .
This is an important moment in the life of our country. By 2040, there will be around one million additional people living here in Ireland so we need to plan carefully for the challenges the decades ahead will bring.
With an investment of €165 billion, the revised NDP will deliver the largest and greenest capital investment plan in the history of the State. It is an ambitious plan, with record levels of investment, but one that is achievable and will make a significant difference in many key areas in the life of our country.
The economic benefits of this plan will be considerable. An employment impact analysis, carried out by my Department estimates that an annual average of up to 81,000 direct and indirect construction jobs will be sustained as a result of the public investment in this NDP over the next decade.
Through supporting the largest public housing programme in the history of the State, this NDP will deliver an average of 6,000 affordable homes each year.
In addition, we are providing the funding to advance Sláintecare including eHealth and ICT programmes, new Primary Care Centres and Enhanced Community Care.
Regional accessibility will be enhanced for example through the N/M20 Cork to Limerick transport project.
Rural economies and communities will continue to be strengthened through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. Public transport will be improved through the Connecting Ireland bus programme and major rail investments in the coming years.
The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme and the Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund will benefit communities throughout the country.
Investment in education will mean there are more and better classrooms for our children to learn in and ensure that they are prepared for the digital transformation.
A particular focus will continue to be placed on improving the delivery of investment under Project Ireland 2040. Crucial to this will be the supply of appropriate skilled labour. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship launched in April sets out a five-year strategy to deliver 10,000 new apprentice registrations per year by 2025.
We will also focus on increasing the efficiency with which investment is delivered while achieving greater value for money within allocation.
A range of initiatives and reforms are already underway and planned to help develop the capacity of public sector bodies to effectively deliver public investment.
In addition, key reforms to governance which are being implemented by my Department in order to improve project appraisal and reduce the risk of project overspends are ongoing.
The Supporting Excellence Action Team report published alongside this update of the NDP today makes a number of significant recommendations to support the agenda of improving delivery capability.
The public will rightly want to see how individual projects that are important to them are progressing. Today, additional digital tools are also being made available to provide a status update of projects and programmes under Project Ireland 2040, providing detail to inform the strong foundation for this NDP. This includes the updated MyProjectIreland Interactive Map where everyone can log in and see a range of public investment projects happening in their local area.
An updated tracker of capital projects is also published today, which is a key tool in overseeing the progress of Project Ireland 2040. It contains specific information on the current status of major projects and provides expected project construction commencement and completion dates.
In conclusion I would like to reiterate that this renewed NDP, the largest in the history of the state with an additional €49 billion in expenditure over and above the previous NDP shows that we recognise that investment remains paramount despite the challenges we have faced and will continue to face in the shorter-term.
As a society we’ve been through immense challenges over the last 18 months and this NDP charts a course to bring significant benefit to our economy and our people in the years ahead. Just over a week before Budget 2022, this Government is setting out a vision, along with supportive funding, to build an Ireland that is more resilient, competitive, and sustainable and will improve living standards for all.
ENDS