Shay Brennan challenges value for money in infrastructure

I wish to raise the critical issue of whether we are getting value for money from our infrastructural investment. As public representatives, we have a responsibility to ensure that every euro of taxpayers' money is spent wisely and delivers tangible, lasting benefits for communities across Ireland. Over the past decade, we have witnessed unprecedented levels of capital investment in public infrastructure, roads, public transport, schools, hospitals, housing and more. The National Development Plan, Project Ireland 2040 and various sectoral strategies have set ambitious targets and the sums involved are substantial, reflecting the scale of the challenge and the opportunity before us. However, there is a growing concern both within this House and among the wider public about the efficiency and effectiveness of this spending. We have all seen high-profile projects be set by cost overruns, delays and significant changes in scope. The National Children's Hospital, Metrolink and various school building projects have all attracted criticism for spiralling costs and protracted timelines. These are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern that raises fundamental questions about project management, procurement processes and accountability within our system. In my own constituency of Dublin-Rat-Down, constituents regularly raise concerns about the pace of delivery and the quality of completed projects. Whether it is transport links, school places or healthcare facilities, people want to know that the State is delivering on its promises and doing so in a way that represents real value for money. There is a palpable sense of frustration when projects are delayed or costs escalate, as it undermines public confidence in the ability of the State to deliver essential infrastructure efficiently and effectively. I would like you to address the following. What specific measures are in place to ensure rigorous oversight of infrastructure projects, from initial planning through to completion? How are lessons being learned from past overruns and delays? And what concrete reforms are being implemented to prevent a repeat of these issues? Are we benchmarking our performance against international best practice? And if so, how do we compare with our peers in Europe and beyond? And most importantly, what assurances can you give to the public that we are truly maximising the return on this historic level of investment? And that future projects will avoid the pitfalls we have seen to date? Ultimately, Tánísta, this is not just about balancing the books. It is about public trust and the credibility of government. People need to see that the State can deliver high-quality infrastructure on time and within budget to improve their daily lives and support Ireland's future growth and prosperity. I urge you to provide detailed and candid assessment of where we currently stand, what is being done to address these challenges, and how we can restore and strengthen confidence in our ability to deliver value for money in public investment. Thank you. Thank you. Tánísta. Tánísta. Well, thanks very much. I want to thank Deputy Brennan for raising this timely and important issue. At the start, I suppose it is worth, as you rightly say, reflecting on the level of capital investment that we are now seeing. If you look at what we have delivered together through the National Development Plan since 2019, it is 170 kilometres of new roads, including the New Ross bypass, the Dunkeettle interchange, the Moy Cullen bypass, the N22 McCroom, the N5 Westport Turlock. We have seen active travel infrastructure throughout the country of 660 kilometres of walking infrastructure, 400 kilometres of cycling infrastructure, 220 kilometres of greenways, almost 53,000 new local authority schemes since 2021, 110,000 premises connected to high-speed broadband as a result of the the national broadband plan, as well as 330 premises with a connection available, the new city campus for TU Dublin in Grange-Gorman, around 800 school building projects have been completed since 2020, another 300 under construction, the first phase of the new national rehabilitation hospital, new ward blocks. I make that point just to set a context, because you are absolutely right, we are about to enter a new phase and we have to really put ourselves under pressure here in terms of speed, pace and value for money. But I think we do it from a relatively strong foundation in terms of the scaling up that we have been able to do, thankfully, in terms of the delivery of capital projects over the last number of years. But as I say, we are about to enter a new phase, because our colleague Minister Chambers will shortly carry out the review of the national development plan. This will see an unprecedented level of capital investment, and that is great. But our voters, as you say, citizens of this country will want to know, did we get the value for money? Did we deliver the projects in a timely manner? Did we manage to break down the silos and the bureaucracy? That is why in advance of the national development plan in July we are putting a very big focus now on trying to get the structures right. As you know, the new programme for Government has made a number of commitments around infrastructure delivery, crucially looking at how departments and agencies can work better together. We are working with stakeholders to advise on strategic project selection, expediting delivery of project assessments, and crucially, and I think the most important thing, was the reform that is taking place in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This now has a newly established infrastructure division, led by a Deputy Secretary-General, staffed by a combination of experienced civil servants, but also sectoral experts, redeployed from key state agencies, including the ESB, Air Grid, ISCA, Air and Transport Infrastructure Ireland and on board Planola. Government efficiency, value for money and that common sense approach will be a hallmark of this division within the Department. I know the Minister and the whole of Government are determined in relation to that. In the coming months, we have tasked the infrastructure division to engage with key stakeholders to identify and propose solutions to barriers that they see in delivery, to carry out a public consultation on barriers to infrastructure delivery due to commence in the coming days, a review of international best practice and international delivery, including looking at what happens in other comparable European countries, and a report on barriers to critical infrastructure delivery that is due to come back to Government in July as well. I think getting these building blocks right will really well serve us now as we ramp up capital in the weeks and months ahead. I appreciate that response and the steps have been taken to improve oversight and delivery. However, I want to press further on the strategic approach to investment timing. Given the urgent needs in transport, energy, water and public services, and considering Ireland's relatively strong fiscal position, are we missing an opportunity by not front-loading our infrastructural investments, even if this means prudent borrowing? Many experts argue that accelerating key projects now would not only address immediate capacity constraints, but also drive economic growth, improve competitiveness and deliver long-term savings by avoiding the costs of delay. With interest rates stabilising and strong demand for public infrastructure, is it time for the Government to be more ambitious and proactive in bringing forward investment, rather than spreading it thinly over a longer period? I would very much welcome your thoughts on whether a more front-loaded investment-led strategy should be considered at this critical juncture. Thanks again to Deputy Brennan. The honest answer is yes. We do need to be more ambitious, and we also need to recognize, and these are judgment calls that the Minister will no doubt get right in the time ahead with government colleagues, but we need to recognize that projects that are announced today, obviously, have a lead in time. So this is a government that wants to deliver 300,000 new homes by 2030. In order to be able to fulfill that, we're going to have to press go on crucial water projects, go on crucial energy projects, go in terms of extra support and funding for the Land Development Agency. And you're right, if we don't do that early on in the government, well then we won't see the benefit of it for the people of this country later on in the term of the government. So yes, it's a balance and it's a judgment call. But crucially, when it comes to key pieces of infrastructure and water, energy, transport, and obviously them being enablers of housing and housing itself, we've got to really ramp up there. But we have to get it right to. And that's why I'm very encouraged by the work being done by Minister Chambers in terms of the new infrastructure division. Because instead of what I call Pen Pals International, everybody writing to everybody, you actually have seconded into that division, key people from Irish Water, from the ESB, people who have experience of employer planola and experienced civil servants to all work together. And if those key bodies of work that I've outlined that are either about to commence or already underway. Thanks. Thank you.