79. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation for a report on the Benefits Realisation Framework for infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51520/26]

The Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan (AIRAP), published in December 2025, outlined reforms to speed up delivery of critical infrastructure and support implementation of the NDP. The Action Plan addresses 12 key barriers and sets out 30 time-bound actions under four reform pillars aimed at accelerating infrastructure delivery.

The Benefits Realisation Framework for Infrastructure was published by my Department on July 1st 2026. The Framework is a key reform under the AIRAP report and applies to all Government Departments and public sector bodies.

The Benefits Realisation Framework establishes a consistent approach to how the benefits of infrastructure investment are communicated. It gives effect to Action 30 of AIRAP, which commits to improving how the societal value of infrastructure is described and understood.

Capital projects undergo detailed and robust appraisal under the Infrastructure Guidelines, including the identification and assessment of economic, social and environmental benefits. However, this technical analysis is designed to support decision-making processes. The new Benefits Realisation Framework ensures that the same data on benefits is made meaningful for, and accessible to, people in their day-to-day lives.

The Framework requires that public engagement and communications on capital works set out both the direct impacts of infrastructure projects and the wider economic and social benefits they enable, with a priority focus on how infrastructure works either directly deliver, or facilitate, delivery of housing. The Framework also introduces a requirement to articulate the costs of inaction, providing greater transparency on the consequences of not proceeding with infrastructure projects.

Public Sector Bodies involved in the sponsoring, funding and/or public engagement and communication of public infrastructure will be required to apply the Framework, through early and ongoing collaboration between policy, technical and communications teams to ensure that benefits identified in appraisal documentation are translated effectively for public engagement.

The Framework does not alter or add to the appraisal requirements under the Infrastructure Guidelines. Instead, it ensures that the information produced through the project lifecycle is used effectively for engagement on capital works.

The Framework is supported by a policy and principles document, a practical “How To” guide, and a Benefits Blueprint tool. These were informed by international best practice and were user-tested across a number of sectoral Departments. These supports are designed to help Public Sector Bodies embed the approach into project development, business case preparation, and public engagement and communications.

The Framework is outlined in Circular 24/2026, and available on gov.ie. The full operational documentation underpinning the Framework are also available on the Infrastructure Guidelines webpage under the DPER website.