Mattie McGrath proposes annual Dáil oversight of Project Ireland 2040
Mattie McGrath introduced a short bill to require annual Dáil reporting and debate on Project Ireland 2040, arguing it would restore democratic accountability and protect rural communities. He said the bill would compel the Minister for Housing and Local Government and Heritage to report annually on progress against the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan.
Purpose of the bill
The bill is designed to provide democratic accountability by holding the Government to account for delivery of Project Ireland 2040, a composite of the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework, and to give the Dáil a defined role in the rollout of the project.
Main provisions
The bill would compel the Minister for Housing and Local Government and Heritage to prepare and lay before each House of the Oireachtas an annual report on progress in implementing Project Ireland 2040. It also seeks to place Project Ireland 2040 and its constituent components on a statutory footing and to establish an annual debate in Dáil Éireann. McGrath said the bill was drafted with the Parliamentary Legal Office and cleared by the Bill's Office and Count Cora's Office, and he thanked Count Cora and OPLA staff.
Democratic oversight and Dáil role
McGrath argued that the Dáil has been sidelined on Project Ireland 2040 decisions and that the bill would allow elected deputies to scrutinise funding allocations and policy objectives. He said this scrutiny is necessary because the plan effectively dictates where people will live, work and access services over the next 20 years.
Rural impact and infrastructure gap
He warned of chronic underinvestment in rural Ireland and said the bill aims to ensure rural communities are not left behind in delivery of roads, public transport, broadband, energy, water and sewer schemes, and electric infrastructure. McGrath stressed the need to enable local young people to build homes on their land to help stem rural population decline.
Funding context and long-term planning
McGrath cited a projected increase of circa 1 million people by 2040, requiring hundreds of thousands of new jobs, homes and amenities. He noted current annual capital expenditure is just below €10 billion and is tracking the planned spend in Project 2040, but said a large infrastructure gap remains and the projects funded now will have effects for the next 50 years.
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The primary objective of this short bill is to provide democratic accountability by holding the Government of the day to account and the delivery of objectives of Project Ireland 2040. We, in the rule of independence, believe to be crucial, given that Project Ireland 2040, which is a composite of the national development plan and the national planning framework in the long term, is an overarching strategy to change how investment is made in public infrastructure in Ireland. Therefore, the bill aims to give the Dáil an important role into the rollout of the delivery of the Project Ireland 2040. From a policy and democratic standpoint, we believe that a policy which effectively dictates where people live, work and play, and indeed have access to public services over the next 20 years, is having rigorous and honest scrutiny by this Dáil. In short, the bill represents the only way possible to ensure democratic accountability over Project Ireland 2040 objectives, and it can be obtained. The bill has been carefully drafted in conjunction with the Parliamentary Legal Office, and has been cleared by both the Bill's Office and the Count Cora's Office. I want to thank you, Count Cora and your team, and also the OPLA staff as well. The underlying projections of the bill are to compel the Minister for Housing and Local Government and Heritage to prepare annually and lay before each House of the Oireachtas a report on the progress made in implementing Project Ireland 2040, the constituent components of the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan. Number two, the bill seeks to improve transparency and accountability over the decisions and rollout and delivery of Project Ireland 2040, to ensure that rural communities are not being left behind when it comes to the delivery of key infrastructure projects, and public services are critical to these areas. Number three, the bill also paves the way for an annual debate in Dáil Éireann on Shaw, which would allow elected deputies to scrutinise and evaluate progress or otherwise for democratic accountability over executive government and non-elected officials, and far-reaching policy objectives and funding allocations contained in Project Ireland 2040. We don't have any, we are just shut out of it at present. And even a car, the bill would effectively give Dáil Éireann a much greater input into rural and regional development in Ireland. As things currently stand, Dáil has been completely sidelined when it comes to Project Ireland 2040. This means the people have been denied having a democratic input into the plan, and then its funding channels via direct talk to Dáil Éireann. That surely is not right. The bill also places Project Ireland 2040 and its constitutional components, of which are the National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan, on a statutory footing. Why is this bill so important now? The infrastructure gap and urban and rural divide is projected that by 2040 there will be circa 1 million extra people living in Ireland. This population growth will require hundreds of thousands of new jobs, new homes, more cultural and social amenities, better regional connectivity and improved environmental sustainability. The National Development Plan sets out the strategic investment plans to achieve this. The Rural Independent Group and myself are bringing forward this bill. Therefore, given the sheer significance of this plan and the need to allow Dáil Éireann a meaningful input into these investment decisions on an annual basis. Currently, the annual level of capital expenditure in Ireland is just below €10 billion per annum, which is tracking the level of planned spend set out in Project 2040. However, there is still a large infrastructure gap in Ireland across the majority of sectors, health, education, housing, public transport and indeed infrastructure. In addition, rural Ireland is suffering from many years of chronic underinvestment. This requires significant capital investment areas such as roads, public transport, broadband energy, the built environment including water and sewer schemes, and electric infrastructure as well. It also requires a commitment to facilitate local young people to build a home on their land in order to stem rule the population. Just one more piece of yoke. Importantly, the projects the government is currently investing in under the plan will be 50 years forward. We must be thinking of those young people and their lives ahead of them. The plan offers a significant opportunity for a connected and integrated infrastructure that puts a focus on communities and creates a sustainable way of living for all parts of our country. What is it built for? . It has been moved. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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