Capital plan review and funding
Deputy Howlin asked when the promised mid-term review of the capital plan will happen, what role the Oireachtas will have, and whether it will add to existing funding. The Taoiseach said the review process was underway, Departments were being asked for priorities, and the available moneys were just over €2 billion.
The Taoiseach will recall that when the public capital plan was published in 2014, a mid-term review was promised. The Government announced this week that the review is taking place this year. The existing book of Estimates states that there is €34 billion to be expended between now and 2021. There is an unallocated sum of €2.6 billion. Apparently €5 billion was available last year, and half of this was allocated for social housing. When is the review to take place? What role will the Oireachtas, particularly Members of the Dáil, have in the review? Will the review supplement the money already allocated or are we simply talking about an additional €2.5 billion for expenditure, which would be a very small sum in the context of the capital works needed?
Comment on this
The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister for Finance have set out the strategy by which this will take place. The Minister informed the Cabinet yesterday that he will contact every Department in respect of its real priorities rather than just the usual endless list that comes in. He is not going to be in a position to do address the latter. The process is under way. Obviously, the relevant committees of the Houses will have an opportunity to air their views on future priorities.
The Deputy will be aware that the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Simon Coveney, is considering the question of what kind of Ireland we will have in the next 25 or 30 years given the increasing population. He is also determining where the expansion in development and infrastructure should be. It is an issue that both Ministers are considering for the medium and longer term.
Comment on this
What is the capital sum involved?
Comment on this
Ministers will now be requested to respond to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on their real priorities in the context of the available moneys, which amount to just over €2 billion. It will then be a matter of considering the longer-term implications for the kind of country we will have in 25 or 30 years.
Comment on this
Are we talking about €2.5 billion or more?