National Development Plan: Extra €4 billion for health and housing found by Government during negotiations
30 minutes ago
Main Points:
Details of the investment of some €200 billion in Ireland's infrastructure over the next decade will be unveiled by Government today.
More than €165 billion had been allocated to the current National Development Plan (NDP) which runs until 2030.
However, a review of the NDP was announced in April to allow for additional funding.
The revised NDP will be boosted by the €14 billion windfall in Apple tax, the proceeds from the sale of the State's stake in AIB and money that had been put away in State accounts, including the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund.
It will cover costs out to 2035 with a particular focus on increasing investment to support housing delivery by investing in energy, water and transport.
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said it will help 'bridge the infrastructure deficit we have in the Irish economy.'
The plan's unveiling comes as the Government considers a planning fast track for
key national infrastructure to accelerate project delivery.
Jack White -
4 minutes ago
Revised NDP to provide largest ever rise in military spending
The Defence Forces is to receive about €1.7 billion in new capital investment under the revised National Development Plan (NDP).
The move will represent the largest ever rise in military spending, Martin Wall writes.
The new funding will be focused on the introduction of new primary radar systems to identify aircraft in Irish skies as well as sonar equipment to detect objects under the sea.
There will also be investment in new armoured personnel vehicles to provide force protection for troops.
It is understood the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has secured more than a 50 per cent increase on defence spending under the revised NDP.
It is understood the Government believes the €1.7 billion capital investment will allow Ireland to reach the mid-level point of military capabilities – known as Level of Ambition 2 set out in the report of the Commission on Defence in 2022.
Mr Harris has said that Ireland must get to Level of Ambition 2, which would mean that State infrastructure and capabilities on defence were at a point where it was in line with other smaller countries in Europe.
It is understood the Government believes the allocation under the revised National Development Plan for Defence will mean Ireland can work towards the Level of Ambition 2 target initially before moving over subsequent years to the higher Level of Ambition 3.
This would see Ireland develop more extensive defence capabilities including fighter jets and a larger Naval Service.
Housing and water investment are set to receive about €40 billion from the Government's overall €100 billion expenditure on infrastructure and capital projects over the next five years.
Jack White -
12 minutes ago
The Government found another €4 billion for health and housing during down-to-the-wire negotiations over the National Development Plan on Monday evening, The Irish Times has learned.
Jack Horgan-Jones reports:
The plan will see the allocation of more than €200 billion over the coming decade – with the figure ballooning in recent days as talks between Coalition leaders and Cabinet ministers continued.
Originally, some €20 billion was to be added to the National Development Plan – but Minister for Public Expenditure and Infrastructure Jack Chambers said over the weekend that figure would rise to €30 billion.
Senior Government sources confirmed on Tuesday morning that an additional €3.9 billion was added for health and housing on Monday night.
This means that there will be €34 billion extra when compared to the existing NDP, including €10 billion up until 2030 to pay for megaprojects in energy, water and transport.
In total, there will be €102.4 billion allocated to different sectors for the period 2026-2030, and another €100 billion for the years 2030-2035.
Government sources indicated that the review will take in total public investment of €275.4 billion, including exchequer and non-exchequer funding and the release of once-off payouts from the Apple tax money, the sale of AIB shares and State funds such as the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund.
Jack White -
15 minutes ago
The plan being published today is one of the 'biggest ever investments in transforming fundamental infrastructure,' Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.
The National Development Plan being published by Government today is one of the biggest ever investments in transforming fundamental infrastructure in this country.
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD)
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