2026-07-07

11. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the progress made to date under national strategic outcome, NSO, No. 6 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51367/26]

Question No. 11 is in the name of Deputy Fleming. With prior approval, it will be asked by Deputy Shane Moynihan.

Táim ag glacadh leis an gceist seo thar ceann an Teachta Moynihan. Will the Minister outline the progress made to date under NSO No. 6 of the national development plan to 2030?

As Minister, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and monitoring monthly expenditure at departmental level. The NDP review was published in July last year, with Departments subsequently publishing sectoral investment plans setting out the capital projects to be prioritised out to 2030. Furthermore, the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, which was published in December 2025, outlined a range of reforms to speed up delivery of critical infrastructure across Ireland to support the realisation of the funding allocated under the NDP and to optimise delivery. NSO No. 6 deals with the delivery of high-quality international connectivity. The relevant sectoral strategies include the national aviation policy, the national ports policy and the telecommunications chapter of the national marine planning framework, which relates to international telecommunications connectivity. In terms of our airports, a range of investments are planned and under way. Dublin Airport has announced a major programme of improvements, which include enhanced operational capacity to manage more than 120,000 passengers per day. The Shannon Airport Group continues to implement its investment plan, including upgrades to airport infrastructure such as new research and development engineering and manufacturing units. Waterford Airport is undergoing a transformative investment to be completed by the summer of 2027. In relation to ports, the Port of Cork's Ringaskiddy development, container terminal, CCT, 2 project, is under way, which will see the redevelopment and extension of the existing facility to accommodate larger sea vessels and increase port capacity. The Shannon Foynes Port Company is progressing with capacity extensions at the port. Co-funded by the EU, this further strengthens freight and trade and establishes the estuary as a global offshore wind hub. Dublin Port is actively implementing its masterplan 2040 to ensure sustainable growth and long-term capacity planning. Further details of projects and programmes being delivered under NSO No. 6 are published as part of our investment tracker of projects with a cost greater than €20 million. In addition, the sectoral plans published by Departments at the end of 2025 set out the planned investment cycle of projects, by county, across the country. Those plans are available from the relevant Departments.

I thank the Minister for his very comprehensive response. I am glad to see progress is being made on a number of fronts, including aviation, port policy and digital connectivity. The first part of this question asks how confident we are that these projects are now future-proofed in terms of the next 30- or 40-year cycle. The Minister has spoken at length about some of the bottlenecks that exist in the economy arising out of the massive growth we have seen in our population over time. With the continued success of the economy and the continued identification of Ireland as an international hub, connectivity becomes all the more important. I am particularly keen to hear the Minister's thoughts on how we can improve digital connectivity. Ireland is a global data and technology hub. Subsea connectivity is extremely important to us as well. What plans are being laid out under NSO No. 6 with regard to improving overall connectivity from the subsea infrastructure point of view? Are those plans being future-proofed with an eye to 2050, 2070 and 2090 to ensure we maintain our status as a global technology and data hub?

We have been clear about the absolute necessity to protect the huge ecosystem of digital and infrastructure investment in Ireland over the past ten to 20 years. Part of that has been the wider and ongoing discussion on the security of subsea cables. In terms of our immediate capital plans, the Department of communications, when it comes to digital infrastructure, has been prioritising the nationwide roll-out of the national broadband plan, particularly in terms of rural broadband and connectivity. Any longer-term approaches to digital connectivity in terms of State intervention regarding subsea cables is something we would have to consider as part of a future national development plan. We want to continue to embed digital infrastructure and the technology investment that exists in Ireland to promote jobs. That is a key part of NSO No. 6. In addition to the wider capacity the Deputy mentioned-----

I will allow the Minister to come back in after Deputy Moynihan's contribution.

I accept the role of the State with regard to global subsea connectivity. I have a two-part question on aviation and port capacity. Are all the NSO No. 6 projects the Minister expects to be completed by 2030 on track? Second, what sort of thinking is there in terms of future-proofing for Dublin Airport and Dublin Port? Is the Minister confident there is sufficient headroom for both to grow if we continue to see the amount of connectivity and the volume of trade and passengers coming into the country that we are seeing at the moment?

This is a pro-enterprise Government that wants to grow our economy. Critical to that is our airport and port capacity. Dublin Port's masterplan drives increased port capacity out to 2040. There is a separate wider discussion on additional east coast capacity, which I think we will require in the medium to long term in addition to Dublin Port, the capacity of which will be constrained. We need to drive its infrastructure plan efficiently. There have been constraints and planning complexity at Dublin Airport in recent years but the work by the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, has ensured we lifted the cap. There is a significant capital plan for the airport, some of which is in the planning system and some of which is built out around a major programme of improvements. Ensuring the long-term viability of the airport is very much connected to its being a transatlantic hub, which requires advancing some of the more long-term plans to expand some its piers. There is a real opportunity there. With some of the operational constraints removed, the airport can really drive that delivery. The second runway, which was built during the previous Government's term, offers huge opportunities for additional growth and connectivity.