Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 May 2024
84. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under National Strategic Outcome 9 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19817/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform 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. 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 NDP contains expenditure commitments for a range of strategic investment priorities which will contribute towards the achievement of these NSOs, including NSO 9 which relates to the Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and other Environmental Resources. This NSO highlights the centrality of our sustainable water resources to the implementation of the National Planning Framework to underpin our environmental and economic well-being into the future, against the backdrop of the deficits in water services capacity and quality arising from past underinvestment. Investment in the water and waste water network will support environmental and economic wellbeing, deal with population growth and the effects of a changing climate.
The relevant sectoral strategies under this NSO are the Water Services Policy Statement 2018-2025, Uisce Éireann’s National Water Resources Plan and the Government’s Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy. These strategies play a critical role in identifying the goals and priorities for this area and are therefore critical in informing the investment projects set out in the NDP.
In terms of water management a range of investments are planned and underway under the NDP. Some recently completed projects include:
• The Cork City Water Supply Scheme and Upgrade of Water Treatment plant;
• The Cork lower harbour main drainage project;
• The Blanchardstown sewerage scheme;
• The Ballycoolen/Kingstown main scheme and
• The Roscommon sewerage scheme.
Further details of projects and programmes being delivered under NSO 9 can be found in the latest capital investment tracker, which I published yesterday and 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 and social housing projects. Search facilities also allow citizens to view projects in their regional area, by city, by county or by eircode.
The Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and myProjectIreland interactive map are all available on gov.ie/2040.
