910. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation if the findings and recommendations arising from reviews and evaluations of major public projects are collated centrally; if there is a central mechanism to track implementation of recommendations and ensure lessons identified in one department or public body are applied across the public sector; if not, whether he intends to establish such a mechanism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61156/26]

As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation, my Department is responsible for the Infrastructure Guidelines, which replaced the Public Spending Code for capital appraisal since end 2023. These set the value for money requirements and guidance for evaluating, planning and managing Exchequer-funded capital projects to ensure that vital infrastructure projects will be delivered on time and in a manner that ensures value for money through detailed evaluation, appraisal and planning. Management and delivery of investment projects and public services within allocation and the national frameworks, including the Infrastructure Guidelines and National Planning Framework, is a key responsibility of every Department, Accounting Officer and Minister.

To ensure value for money, where a project is considered a major project, the Infrastructure Guidelines currently require that this project must be reviewed by the Major Projects Advisory Group (MPAG) at Approval Gate 1, overseen by my Department, to allow for greater scrutiny and clarity regarding such projects. As part of the appraisal process for projects under the Infrastructure Guidelines, Sponsoring Agents and Approving Authorities for the projects are asked to critically consider various aspects of a project in terms of project rationale, options appraisal, governance arrangements, potential schedule and cost implications as well as possible lessons learned from previous projects, which are further developed and refined as a project progresses through the approval gates and more information becomes available as it moves from the preliminary to final business case before the awarding of the contract. This includes both detailed financial and economic appraisal, sensitivity analysis, accounting for behavioural influences such as optimism bias, as well as consideration of appropriate levels of contingency.

Once complete, these MPAG review notes are published online by my department, subject to commercial sensitivities. Adherence to the Infrastructure Guidelines and management of the project overall as it progresses, is ultimately the responsibility of the Accounting Officer of the relevant funding department. It is a matter for each Accounting Officer to decide whether processes in place in his/her department/ office/body and associated agencies are appropriate to ensure compliance with the Infrastructural Guidelines, manage capital budgets overall and manage budgets at an individual project level.

Under the Infrastructure Guidelines, following the implementation of a project, Sponsoring Agencies are required to complete a Project Completion Report and Ex-Post Evaluation for the Approving Authority's review. This stage is the last stage of the project lifecycle and is critical for identifying lessons learned and driving the process of continuous improvement in how public bodies evaluate, plan and manage public investment projects. The purpose of the Project Completion Report is to assess if an investment proposal was delivered in line with its intended scope and budget and in line with the Infrastructure Guidelines. The Ex-Post Evaluation, which is conducted once sufficient time has elapsed for the benefits and outcomes to materialise, is to determine if the intended benefits and outcomes materialised and to judge the impact of the investment proposals intervention.

The wider purpose of both the Project Completion Report and Ex-Post Evaluation is to ensure lessons learned from the project or programme translate into improved knowledge for the sector and wider public service, building up a baseline of data within public bodies to inform sectoral guidance, similar projects or programmes and similar elements across investment proposals. Under the Infrastructure Guidelines, these reports should be published and disseminated to support a culture of continuous improvement in the evaluating, planning and managing of public investment. For projects over €50 million, they should be sent to my Department for dissemination and the findings and lessons learned will be reflected in future iterations of appraisal guidance, where appropriate.