Almost €100bn expected to be invested in Ireland's infrastructure over next five years
Senior Coalition figures met on Saturday as work continues on the revised
National Development Plan
(NDP) which is due to be unveiled on Tuesday.
The Irish Times understands that as much as €30 billion in extra funding is set to be added to the NDP. That is up from a previously mooted sum of around €20 billion – bringing the overall sums to be spent over the next five and a half years to almost €100 billion.
The Government's coffers have been boosted by the proceeds of the
Apple tax
case and sale of
AIB shares
.
READ MORE
The plans are being billed within the Coalition as one of the largest ever capital expansion programmes in the history of the State.
The goal is to transform capital infrastructure over the next decade with housing, water, energy and transport all being prioritised for investment.
There will be a significant focus on scaling up housing delivery by providing big 'once in a generation' capital funding into Úisce Éireann , ESB and EirGrid.
The key utilities' difficulties in delivering services to new housing developments has been identified as a significant barrier to scaling up housing.
A source said: 'This will be critical investment in key infrastructure to drive growth for the future'.
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We need to face up to the fact that not all middle-earners are squeezed
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Tuesday's publication is expected to set out departmental capital ceilings to 2030 and overall capital investment to 2035.
Deliberations for finalising the NDP are to continue on Monday in advance of a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Minister for Public Expenditure
Jack Chambers
is expected to tell Cabinet colleagues that there is profound uncertainty around global trade and the threat of tariffs by US president
Donald Trump
poses significant risk to Ireland's economy.
He will say the best way to way to safeguard the economy and to protect growth, jobs and living standards is to address the country's infrastructure deficits through focused investment in the key growth enabling sectors of the economy.
Ministers will also be briefed on work being progressed to reform the country's delivery systems so that project life cycles can be reduced and better value for money can be achieved.
Ministers will outline the specific programmes and investment they will prioritise as part of Budget 2026 in October.
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Sir, – According to your recent poll, 25 per cent of voters are undecided, and 20 per cent of those who did express a preference said they would vote for an Independent candidate. Doing the maths, this means that a total of 40 per cent of the electorate do not support any of the nine political parties in the Oireachtas. Is this a record for your series of polls? This suggests a truly extraordinary level of dissatisfaction with both the two main parties and with the various parties of the left, and that an unhealthy proportion of the electorate feel disconnected from our political presents significant dangers. READ MORE First, every single country in Europe – without exception – has at least one new party on the populist right which emerged over the last two decades, capitalising on a similar disconnect among voters, and which now enjoys at least 25 per cent of the vote. Do we think that Ireland is immune from this trend? 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Irish Examiner
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