In line with the commitment in the programme for Government, my Department has prioritised an early review of the national development plan, NDP, which will be published in July. The aim of the review is to improve our infrastructure, particularly water, energy and transport. Prioritisation of these sectors is necessary to deliver hundreds of thousands of additional homes and to boost our competitiveness. The review document to be published in July will feature annual capital allocations to Departments over the five years to 2030 and overall capital expenditure ceilings for the ten years to 2035. This will be followed by sectoral publications later this year detailing the particular programmes that will be funded from the NDP. While particular allocations are yet to be agreed, investment in water infrastructure is a key priority for the review. As part of the process, Departments have also been asked to consider whether their planned programmes meet the criteria for designated environmental projects to receive funding from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund. Some €3.15 billion is available from the fund for 2026 to 2030 and is part of the total NDP funding available. In addition, a climate assessment is also being carried out on projects receiving funding as part of the NDP and this will be published alongside the review document in July. Regarding sustainable management of water services specifically, I would remind the Deputy that, since 1 January 2014, Uisce Éireann has had responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels, according to the 2013 Act. Uisce Éireann co-ordinates that with the Minister for housing. However, we recognise the funding issue, which has existed and has been publicly articulated this year in particular. Water infrastructure will be a central part of the national development plan, which we will set out next week.
Sentiment score: 0.13
Water and wastewater infrastructure is critical to deliver the homes that we need and to deal with the broader infrastructure deficit that exists relating to water infrastructure more generally. What we are doing as part of that is prioritising it. The Exchequer funding of what is now Uisce Éireann significantly increased in recent years but we recognise that, to meet the level of ambition we have in housing supply in the economy, but also to address some of the deficits in regions, there needs to be a much greater level of funding given to Uisce Éireann. We are finalising that presently. What will happen in the aftermath of that is Uisce Éireann will be able to update its respective plans and delivery timelines relating to different projects. The metric will be delivery when funding has been provided over the next number of years so that Uisce Éireann is really enabled, from a funding perspective, to drive the delivery of this infrastructure. The engagement that we all will be having will be on delivery, when we have met the funding need that is required.
Sentiment score: 0.13
I thank Deputy Farrell for raising the issue of offshore islands, Deputy Burke for raising the issue of wastewater treatment plants during the noughties and Deputy Crowe for raising the issue of underlying infrastructure. My first role as part of this is to ensure that commercial State bodies, like Uisce Éireann, are appropriately funded over the medium term. That is something we will address as part of the national development plan to be outlined next week. The second part of my responsibilities is to ensure that when a project is being progressed and has been decided upon, the life cycle of the project can happen much quicker than at present and we can deliver a project from concept to delivery in a much quicker way within our economy because the timelines at present are too slow. Regarding specific operational issues Uisce Éireann has with the offshore islands, the wastewater treatment plants and the underlying infrastructure that all the Deputies referenced, the Minister for housing and Uisce Éireann will be able to respond on those specific details. However, there will be a significant uplift in funding for water infrastructure in the State when we outline the national development plan.
Sentiment score: 0.26
The national development plan is the State's medium- to long-term plan for public capital investment. The current national development plan to 2030 provided for public capital investment of €165 billion over the period 2021 to 2030. Government is currently prioritising an early review of this plan, to be published this month, which will set out five-year departmental capital ceilings and additionality to 2030 and overall capital expenditure ceilings for the ten-year period to 2035. The objective of the review is to improve our infrastructure, particularly housing, energy, water and transport. Improvements to these sectors are necessary to deliver on the core ambition for the review to fund the supporting infrastructure to enable the delivery of thousands of additional homes and to boost our competitiveness. This reflects a planned and strategic approach to public capital investment over the next ten years. Planning and prioritisation of the funding will be guided by: the critical priorities for infrastructure investment highlighted in the programme for Government; the capacity of sectors to deliver projects and programmes within the period of the review, while being cognisant of trade-offs within and between sectors such as construction sector labour supply; the cost of proposals in the context of competing priorities and existing levels of capital funding; and the alignment of particular projects with the core focus on housing and competitiveness. The revised national development plan will also form part of our broader structural plan and associated medium-term expenditure framework. The plan is being worked on by my Department and the Department of Finance and will reflect the strategic choices that will need to be made over the next five years in the context of tax and expenditure to ensure a balanced and sustainable fiscal outlook. The medium-term expenditure framework being prepared by my Department will support the delivery of key social and economic priorities of Government for the period to 2030. Financial planning for capital projects also takes place at the individual project level. My Department, through the infrastructure guidelines, provides the framework through which Departments can plan.
Sentiment score: 0.17
The Deputy is right. That was an excellent project delivered by Uisce Éireann. His original question connects back to the previous question that was asked. We understand the challenge Uisce Éireann has had each year in knowing its funding position the following year and the effect that has on contractors and their delivery pipelines. We are cognisant of that in the work we are doing as part of the national development plan. In the critical strategic sectors of infrastructure, we will give a longer view for contractors to give the confidence to build a pipeline and expand particular sectors within the economy. Part of what we are doing through the national development plan is to give greater certainty on the project pipeline for the likes of Uisce Éireann and others so they can plan for projects that will come on stream in the medium term. That has been an important part of the feedback we received through the consultation we had on infrastructure.
Sentiment score: 0.30
I might just come in also. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, just dealt with one part. Part of the work we are doing is to try to accelerate and improve the project life cycle. Be they full schemes or road projects, they are taking far too long. IGEES is deployed across Government Departments, assessing and evaluating some of the policies that have been advanced by Government. It provides external assessment to inform policy decisions we take as part of the budget process. It plays an important role and is deployed across Government, led by my Department. The NDP delivery board has been changed through the accelerated infrastructure task force, which I have established. It has a different remit in the context of reform of infrastructure delivery in the economy and oversight of those reforms and broader infrastructure delivery from the projects and the plan we will set out next week.
Sentiment score: 0.12
As the Deputy said, she is referring to delay in addressing taxes due on retirement and anomalies in deductions of various pension contributions. A review in relation to Ministers who may have been impacted regarding contributions and additional superannuation contributions, ASCs, has been completed. Those identified are being contacted and engagement is ongoing. I understand from the National Shared Services Office, NSSO, that many recoupment plans are now in place. A review of retirees liable for chargeable excess tax and withholding tax is nearing completion and the NSSO has been in contact with individuals impacted. That work is progressing. My Department and the NSSO have put new measures and controls in place to ensure these matters do not reoccur. Additionally, I have asked the chair of the NSSO advisory board to commission forthwith an external audit for the board and my Department of the systems and processes in the NSSO for fulfilling its role and responsibilities. The terms of reference have been finalised in consultation with me and my Department. The clear evidence of errors which has recently come to light emphasises the need to validate and provide reassurance regarding whether the NSSO is carrying out its functions in full compliance with public policy and statutory requirements. My Department is actively engaging with the chair to get this external audit up and running as a matter of urgency. Work is ongoing with the Office of Government Procurement on a supplementary request for tender, which is expected to issue to the relevant framework members this week, ending 18 July 2025. The procurement process will involve clarification questions to be received within 21 days, with 30 days for tenders to be submitted. Work will commence following the relevant evaluation and contract negotiation process. I expect this external audit to be expedited with all due speed and to be completed as soon as practically possible. The external audit will be submitted to the chair of the board and my Department. Following that audit, I will brief the Government on the findings as soon as they are available.
Sentiment score: 0.13
Recruitment plans around chargeable excess tax and pension contributions are two separate issues. I agree that what happened is unacceptable. That is why we need a full external audit and that will happen. If someone who has worked in the public service is liable for chargeable excess tax, they have 20 years on a normal basis to spread that liability once they retire. For example, if someone is retired for two years, they have the remaining 18 years to pay that liability of chargeable excess tax if it has not been paid or they have not agreed a plan to pay it over those 18 years. That is within the existing rules. The issue is when that liability is not paid or is not agreed to be spread over a particular period. The work the NSSO is doing with individuals affected is to ensure they pay the liability at the point of retirement or have a plan in place to pay it over the remaining period in accordance with the rules and procedures that exist for the public service. On pensions contributions, the NSSO is working with anyone who is liable to ensure such contributions are made in terms of recruitment plans. Separately, it is examining the wider group impacted. There might be old payments, particularly for those in a work-sharing pattern. It is assessing that at the moment.
Sentiment score: -0.08
The external audit will be important in assessing the wider systems processes and compliance with public policy and with the statutory position the NSSO exists within. That work will commence and be completed as soon as practically possible. The tender process is ongoing with this audit for the NSSO. As part of budgetary preparations, we are being clear we want to make permanent, sustained and sustainable changes in the context of budget 2026 to improve public services and living standards and make a difference, particularly targeting supports at families that need them. That is the wider context for budget 2026, with broader economic uncertainty facing the country. That work is ongoing with the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, in preparation for the summer economic statement. There will be engagement with all Ministers on what is possible in advance of the budget.
Sentiment score: 0.16
I thank the Deputy. My Department has implemented several safeguards and strategic frameworks to ensure that large-scale public infrastructure contracts are completed on time and within budget. The infrastructure guidelines published in 2023 set the key requirements for project governance over a project’s life cycle. The guidelines cover the evaluation of projects and their proper planning and management once approval in principle is obtained. The guidelines have replaced the public spending code and, significantly, have reduced the number of approval stages and streamlined the requirements for major projects, while retaining the international best practice governance and oversight arrangements already in place. These arrangements sharpen the focus on risk and cost management and reduce the compliance burden on low-risk projects, which brings Ireland into line with leading international approaches to major project delivery. The introduction of the external assurance process and the establishment of the major projects advisory group has improved the governance and oversight arrangements for major infrastructure projects. Standard procurement and contract templates are published under the capital works management framework, CWMF, and apply to projects that are majority Exchequer-funded. There are several cost control review points set out within key stages of a project’s design evolution which utilise standard reporting templates. It is a general principle that projects to which the CWMF applies are put out to tender on the basis of a comprehensively defined set of project requirements so that tenderers can provide a lump sum price for the completion of the project. However, major infrastructure projects, due to their scale, duration and risk profile, often require bespoke contractual strategies not catered for under the CWMF. Typically, these projects use standard forms of contracts which are used internationally in order to attract as wide a field as possible to tender. These contracts bear many similarities with the standard form of public works contract, with clearly defined circumstances where the price and date for completion may be adjusted. They typically employ comprehensive change management procedures which are adhered to by both parties. They differ from the CWMF contracts in the pricing structure and the inclusion of incentives to deliver the project on time and within budget.
Sentiment score: 0.27
I agree. Much work has been done in recent years to embed international best practice into contract management. The wider point has to be acknowledged that if things become too risk averse and no decision is made, then we do not have any delivery and have a long list of hypothetical projects that are not delivered over time. We need a balanced discussion on delivery, in addition to that on risk and cost which is sometimes the broader discussion in this House, the media and elsewhere. The metric has to be delivery and ensuring appropriate safeguards are in place in respect of guidelines and frameworks. Some of the feedback received as part of the infrastructure task force is on balancing risk. The real metric for the future of our economy will be delivery of critical infrastructure. If it sits on lists and circles around processes for decades, we cannot embed any investment. Balancing the need for safeguards against the need for delivery will be critical to delivering this Government's infrastructure ambition.
Sentiment score: 0.05
I thank the Deputies for their questions. To speak to Deputy Crowe's point, there has been a significant consultation on Ireland's procurement strategy and we will have a new national procurement strategy in the coming months. The Minister of State, Deputy Emer Higgins, is leading out on that work. Changes are taking place in the EU and we expect them to conclude during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026. I agree with Deputy Connolly that we need more balance in the broader discussion around infrastructure delivery and the metric has to be that it can advance and be accelerated while having the appropriate safeguards in place. That is the work we are doing on the project life cycle. From concept to delivery, how can we cut time out of the particular points which are creating excessive delays and impacting on communities that have an infrastructure deficit? That question is central to the work we are doing as part of the review of the national development plan and the accelerating infrastructure task force, as is how we better balance risk to promote delivery.
Sentiment score: 0.16
The programme for Government reaffirmed its commitment to the shared island fund and committed to increasing the resources available to the fund by a further €1 billion up to 2035. The shared island initiative is co-ordinated by a dedicated unit within the Department of the Taoiseach, with a focus on fostering co-operation and collaboration across the island of Ireland, aiming to build a more connected, sustainable and prosperous future. The initiative involves working with the Northern Ireland Executive and the British Government and is supported by significant investment from the fund. Funding from the shared island fund is allocated by the Government to Departments and agencies to support the delivery of projects that implement programme for Government priorities on our shared island. These projects are developed and taken forward in co-operation with counterparts in Northern Ireland and focus on practical cross-Border collaboration in a range of areas, including key infrastructure projects, climate action, tourism, culture and research. In some cases, Departments operate programmes that offer grant and funding opportunities that are open to applications as part of the shared island initiative. In addition to the shared island fund, as the Deputy said, the PEACEPLUS programme has a total value of €1. I billion to fund projects across Northern Ireland and the Border counties of Ireland until 2029. PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the Irish Government, the European Commission, the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. PEACEPLUS is funding regional development projects across a diverse range of investment areas, including skills, education, transport, and socioeconomic regeneration. Investments include €165 million to support replacing the train fleet for the Enterprise service and €32 million for a cross-Border water quality improvement programme. In my discussions at the European Council of Ministers, this plays an absolutely essential role for many Border counties and is central to our broader discussions in the context of EU funding to complement the work of the shared island fund.
Sentiment score: 0.45
I share the Deputy's ambition and focus on this critical investment to help to build peaceful and thriving communities. The fund helps to deliver economic regeneration and transformation across our island and empowers and invests in young people, embedding partnership and collaboration. The PEACEPLUS programme and the shared island fund have driven progress across many areas and we are seeing the manifestation of that capital investment in the deliver of infrastructure in some instances and also in important community projects. I met Ms McIntyre in some of my North-South engagement and I can see the critical impact the PEACEPLUS programme is having on many communities across our island. We want that work to continue and be complemented by the position we are taking with the European Union on the PEACEPLUS programme and the ten-year trajectory we have set out from a capital perspective under the shared island fund to embed this funding stream for the future.
Sentiment score: 0.47