Rose Conway-Walsh: National Development Plan Underfunded, West Left Behind
Rose Conway-Walsh warned that the National Development Plan has been chronically underfunded and said this has weakened regional infrastructure and competitiveness. She set out specific multi-year shortfalls, named unfinished projects in the West and North West, and pressed the Taoiseach on shovel-ready projects to protect investment.
Funding shortfall
The National Development Plan set a target of 5% of GNI Star to be invested in capital projects for the period 2021-2030. Rose Conway-Walsh said the 5% target has not been met in any year and listed underfunding of almost a billion in 2021, 2.2 billion in 2022, 2.3 billion in 2023 and 2.4 billion in 2024, noting that budgets have not been adjusted for inflation.
Regional infrastructure consequences
She pointed to concrete consequences across the West and North West, citing the EU Infrastructure Investment Index that ranks the State in the bottom 7%. Rose Conway-Walsh said the Western Rail Corridor has not yet been reopened and there is no rail connectivity to Knock Airport, Ireland West Airport and Knock.
Specific project shortfalls
She said the Government has failed to increase grid infrastructure to harness renewable wind energy, and that water and sewage treatment plants on the Western Seaboard, such as in the town of Newport, have not been delivered. She also warned that a lack of housing is seriously impacting competitiveness in the region.
Question to the Taoiseach and reply
Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Taoiseach whether shovel-ready projects have been identified to protect competitiveness for foreign direct investment and sustainable growth amid global economic turmoil. The Taoiseach replied that these issues are coming within the National Development Plan, apologised, said early years during COVID left some plans unadvanced and noted an underspend in capital in the first years of the last government; the Taoiseach added that the next NDP is understood to be 5% of GNI Star.
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In the context of the global economic turmoil, this is hugely important, the investment in infrastructure. In 2021, the National Development Plan set a target of 5% of GNI Star to be invested in capital projects for the period of 2021-2030. We know that this 5% has not been met in any of those years. In 2021, the National Development Plan was underfunded by almost a billion. In 2022, it was underfunded by 2.2 billion, in 2023, by 2.3 billion and in 2024, by 2.4 billion. Neither have the budgets adjusted for inflation. The underfunding has led to real implications for infrastructure projects in the State, and particularly in my own County of Mayo, but across the West and North West. We know this from the EU Infrastructure Investment Index, which ranks us in the bottom 7%. The Western Rail Corridor has not yet been reopened. There's no rail connectivity to Knock Airport, Ireland West Airport and Knock. The Government have failed to increase the grid infrastructure to harness the potential of renewable wind energy. On the Western Seaboard, water and sewage treatment plants such as in the town of Newport have not been delivered, and the lack of housing is seriously impacting our competitiveness. So Taoiseach, have you identified the shovel-ready projects that can protect us in the turmoil that we are experiencing at the moment to maintain our competitiveness for foreign direct investment and for real sustainable growth in our country? I apologise. Those issues are coming within the National Development Plan. In the early years, particularly during COVID, some plans weren't advanced enough to get to the 5%. So I'm spending in the first year or two of the last government, there was an underspend in what was provided for in capital. Now we have the opposite. Next NDP will be, my understanding, are 5%, J&I star, if not. Thank you. Thank you. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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