NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT plan (NDP) capital expenditure is expected to decrease by almost 20 per cent in 2009 according to
Spending on transport and justice will see the biggest drop, decreasing by 24 per cent and 34 per cent respectively.
In 2008, the government spent almost €1 billion on public transport programmes. In 2009, this figure is expected to drop to €628 million.
Expenditure on prisons, courthouses and Garda stations under the NDP amounted to €232.8 million in 2008. It is estimated this expenditure will total €153.3 million in 2009.
Current expenditure under the NDP is expected to increase in 2009, with increases expected in education, social inclusion and housing programmes.
In 2008, the government spent €539.1 million on grants to VEC’s, adult education and student support. In 2009, it is predicted the spending will total €712 million.
Current expenditure on housing programmes is set to be €730 million in 2009, up from €564.4 million in 2008. Total national development plan expenditure amounted to more than €25 billion in 2008, while it is estimated that expenditure for 2009 will total nearly €24 billion.
Irish Times
www.buckplanning.ie
Showing posts with label NDP. National development plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NDP. National development plan. Show all posts
Friday, 24 April 2009
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
EU challenges €184bn NDP
The government and the European Commission are on a collision course over
the €184 billion National Development Plan (NDP), following a formal warning
from the EU that the entire project is in breach of European law.
The Sunday Business Post has learned that EU environment commissioner
Stavros Dimas sent a letter in the past few days to the government, saying
that the commission believed Ireland’s failure to conduct a strategic
environmental assessment (SEA) for the project was in breach of a key 2001
EU directive.
Should the commission be successful in its action, aspects of the NDP would
have to be halted and undergo a mandatory consultation process with
stakeholders and the public, during which it faces major amendment.
The Department of the Environment confirmed that it had received the letter
from the commission. It said that it had passed the matter to the Department
of Finance.
A spokesman for the Department of Finance said that the government was
‘‘taking a very firm view that it was not in breach of any directive’’.
Legal advice had been obtained prior to the drafting and publication of the
National Development Plan, he said, which strongly advised that no SEA was
required. ‘‘The NDP is a budgetary framework document, and doesn’t require
an SEA. That remains our firm position.”
However, it is understood that there is unease among some in government
about the possible implications of the commission’s action.
The government has been given until next month to reply to the formal
warning, after which the EU commissioner can issue a further warning before
bringing Ireland to the European Court of Justice to compel compliance.ഊA spokesman for EU environment commissioner Dimas confirmed that the
government had received a formal warning recently, but declined to comment
further.
The current phase oft he NDP provides €54.6 billion for investment in
economic infrastructure; €49.6 billion for social inclusion measures, such as
increased disability spending; €33.6 billion for social infrastructure, including
justice; €25.8 billion for schools and higher education, and €20 billion for
enterprise, science and innovation.
The commission has also raised concerns over the destruction of an
archaeological find at Lismullin in Meath, sanctioned by former minister Dick
Roche, connected to the M3 Tara motorway.
John Burke and Pat Leahy
© Sunday Business Post
Back to Index
2. Group calls for change to M3 route
A group which is opposed to the route of the controversial M3 motorway has
repeated its call on the Minister for the Environment to change the route.
Members of TaraWatch yesterday gathered outside the Green Party
headquarters on Suffolk Street in Dublin to urge passers-by to sign a petition
calling on Minister John Gormley to reroute the motorway.
Mr Gormley had "a constitutional duty to give the highest statutory protection
possible to Ireland's premier heritage site and to reroute the M3 away from the
historic Tara Complex," said group spokesman Vincent Salafia.
The group noted a recent announcement by EU environment commissioner
Stavros Dimas of possible legal action against Ireland for a breach of EU law
in formulating the National Development Plan under which the M3 is financed.
Mr Dimas recently wrote to the department saying that the commission
believed Ireland's failure to conduct a strategic environmental assessment for
the National Development Plan was in breach of a key 2001 EU directive.
This followed a complaint filed by TaraWatch to the EU over the lack of
consultation and transparency in the NDP in February. Its key concern was
that environmental experts and groups had been excluded from the policy
formation stages of national planning.
A Department of Finance spokeswoman said legal advice from the Attorney
General's Office before the drafting and launch of the NDP was that a
strategic environmental assessment was not required.
Georgina O'Halloran
© 2007 The Irish Times
the €184 billion National Development Plan (NDP), following a formal warning
from the EU that the entire project is in breach of European law.
The Sunday Business Post has learned that EU environment commissioner
Stavros Dimas sent a letter in the past few days to the government, saying
that the commission believed Ireland’s failure to conduct a strategic
environmental assessment (SEA) for the project was in breach of a key 2001
EU directive.
Should the commission be successful in its action, aspects of the NDP would
have to be halted and undergo a mandatory consultation process with
stakeholders and the public, during which it faces major amendment.
The Department of the Environment confirmed that it had received the letter
from the commission. It said that it had passed the matter to the Department
of Finance.
A spokesman for the Department of Finance said that the government was
‘‘taking a very firm view that it was not in breach of any directive’’.
Legal advice had been obtained prior to the drafting and publication of the
National Development Plan, he said, which strongly advised that no SEA was
required. ‘‘The NDP is a budgetary framework document, and doesn’t require
an SEA. That remains our firm position.”
However, it is understood that there is unease among some in government
about the possible implications of the commission’s action.
The government has been given until next month to reply to the formal
warning, after which the EU commissioner can issue a further warning before
bringing Ireland to the European Court of Justice to compel compliance.ഊA spokesman for EU environment commissioner Dimas confirmed that the
government had received a formal warning recently, but declined to comment
further.
The current phase oft he NDP provides €54.6 billion for investment in
economic infrastructure; €49.6 billion for social inclusion measures, such as
increased disability spending; €33.6 billion for social infrastructure, including
justice; €25.8 billion for schools and higher education, and €20 billion for
enterprise, science and innovation.
The commission has also raised concerns over the destruction of an
archaeological find at Lismullin in Meath, sanctioned by former minister Dick
Roche, connected to the M3 Tara motorway.
John Burke and Pat Leahy
© Sunday Business Post
Back to Index
2. Group calls for change to M3 route
A group which is opposed to the route of the controversial M3 motorway has
repeated its call on the Minister for the Environment to change the route.
Members of TaraWatch yesterday gathered outside the Green Party
headquarters on Suffolk Street in Dublin to urge passers-by to sign a petition
calling on Minister John Gormley to reroute the motorway.
Mr Gormley had "a constitutional duty to give the highest statutory protection
possible to Ireland's premier heritage site and to reroute the M3 away from the
historic Tara Complex," said group spokesman Vincent Salafia.
The group noted a recent announcement by EU environment commissioner
Stavros Dimas of possible legal action against Ireland for a breach of EU law
in formulating the National Development Plan under which the M3 is financed.
Mr Dimas recently wrote to the department saying that the commission
believed Ireland's failure to conduct a strategic environmental assessment for
the National Development Plan was in breach of a key 2001 EU directive.
This followed a complaint filed by TaraWatch to the EU over the lack of
consultation and transparency in the NDP in February. Its key concern was
that environmental experts and groups had been excluded from the policy
formation stages of national planning.
A Department of Finance spokeswoman said legal advice from the Attorney
General's Office before the drafting and launch of the NDP was that a
strategic environmental assessment was not required.
Georgina O'Halloran
© 2007 The Irish Times
Thursday, 19 April 2007
National Development plan 'ignores impact on the environment'
The National Development Plan proposes to spend tens of billions of euro over the next seven years with no analysis of its effect on the environment, a seminar on sustainable development was told yesterday.
The seminar, organised by Comhar, the Sustainable Development Council, was told the national plan represented a missed opportunity to link economic expansion with sustainable development.
Attended by about 50 governmental and non-governmental organisations including the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec), the seminar was organised to form a contribution to the Government's forthcoming review of the National Sustainable Strategy.
But the seminar was told that through major investment in house and road building much of the development of the last seven years was clearly unsustainable. Many speakers said the National Development Plan had been rushed out as a separate strategy to that on sustainable development, which had been a mistake.
Environmental consultant Jack O'Sullivan said the seminar should pose the question: "why was unsustainable development so systemic in Ireland?"
Mr O'Sullivan said he had attended public meetings where planners had been furiously opposed by landowners over issues relating to planning permission, particularly where landowners simply wanted to sell sites.
He suggested that large-scale profits from property development were indicating to even small-scale landowners that they had a right to planning permission and their ownership of the land was the only criterion that mattered.
Similarly when new roads were planned, land along the route had often been "bought up" by people who were fortunate to know where the route would be, and the profits from this kind of speculation could even top importing drugs.
Vincent Salafia, who has campaigned against some road developments, said the State's previous development strategy had been " most unsustainable".
A number of speakers in the audience maintained the National Development Plan had been prepared without input from the environmental sector, while there was no real analysis of the environmental effects of this investment.
One woman maintained the economic sector was under-represented at yesterday's debates and she said it would have been interesting to hear its contribution. She was told a representative of Ibec was in attendance.
Other suggestions from the floor of the meeting were that the Government develop the forestry and fishery industries which were indigenous and sustainable but which were currently "a disaster".
A spokesman for Comhar said more then 4,000 invitations had gone out to governmental and non-governmental groups.
The conference would provide an opportunity for all groups to get their message to Government in time for the review of the strategy, which the spokesman said would happen in coming months.
Tim O'Brien
© 2007 The Irish Time
The seminar, organised by Comhar, the Sustainable Development Council, was told the national plan represented a missed opportunity to link economic expansion with sustainable development.
Attended by about 50 governmental and non-governmental organisations including the Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec), the seminar was organised to form a contribution to the Government's forthcoming review of the National Sustainable Strategy.
But the seminar was told that through major investment in house and road building much of the development of the last seven years was clearly unsustainable. Many speakers said the National Development Plan had been rushed out as a separate strategy to that on sustainable development, which had been a mistake.
Environmental consultant Jack O'Sullivan said the seminar should pose the question: "why was unsustainable development so systemic in Ireland?"
Mr O'Sullivan said he had attended public meetings where planners had been furiously opposed by landowners over issues relating to planning permission, particularly where landowners simply wanted to sell sites.
He suggested that large-scale profits from property development were indicating to even small-scale landowners that they had a right to planning permission and their ownership of the land was the only criterion that mattered.
Similarly when new roads were planned, land along the route had often been "bought up" by people who were fortunate to know where the route would be, and the profits from this kind of speculation could even top importing drugs.
Vincent Salafia, who has campaigned against some road developments, said the State's previous development strategy had been " most unsustainable".
A number of speakers in the audience maintained the National Development Plan had been prepared without input from the environmental sector, while there was no real analysis of the environmental effects of this investment.
One woman maintained the economic sector was under-represented at yesterday's debates and she said it would have been interesting to hear its contribution. She was told a representative of Ibec was in attendance.
Other suggestions from the floor of the meeting were that the Government develop the forestry and fishery industries which were indigenous and sustainable but which were currently "a disaster".
A spokesman for Comhar said more then 4,000 invitations had gone out to governmental and non-governmental groups.
The conference would provide an opportunity for all groups to get their message to Government in time for the review of the strategy, which the spokesman said would happen in coming months.
Tim O'Brien
© 2007 The Irish Time
Tuesday, 30 January 2007
Hanafin's concern at objections to schools upgrading
It seems people even object to schools now. This by Sean Flynn in The Irish Times:
Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin has expressed concern about a new trend which has seen members of the public raise planning objections to new or upgraded school facilities. Until recently, she said, such objections were virtually unknown.
Ms Hanafin was speaking during a special briefing on the €32 billion education package in the new National Development Plan (NDP).
She said the objections raised - especially by those living in mature areas in Dublin and other major cities - was delaying the roll-out of some new school projects. She could understand people objecting to large-scale school developments providing for up to 1,000 pupils and the extra traffic this might generate.
However, she said, some applications for temporary accommodation like prefabs were drawing objections. "People are objecting to temporary accommodation which I cannot understand because it can offer an immediate response to the educational needs of children in their own community, " she said.
At present, the department is dealing with objections raised to school building plans in several counties including Kilkenny, Galway and Westmeath. Officials said objections usually come from long-established residents in well developed areas.
Meanwhile, the failure of the department's school-building programme to keep pace with rapidly developing areas in commuter towns in west Dublin, Kildare and Meath has been widely criticised.
Officials however said yesterday that new generic school designs and closer co-operation with local authorities would speed up the process. A series of meetings is ongoing between department officials and county managers to quicken the process of site-acquisition and planning.
Twenty-two sites have been purchased for school buildings in Dublin in the past year, most of them in rapidly growing areas.
More than €5 billion will be invested in school building and modernisation during the seven years of the NDP. Of this, €2.2 billion will go to primary schools, €1.6 billion to second-level with the balance made up of public private partnerships.
In all, there will be 100,000 additional places; this should meet the projected increase in the number of primary pupils over the next seven years.
The number of second-level pupils is also expected to increase dramatically from about 2012 but Ms Hanafin said there was sufficient surplus capacity in the second-level system to cope.
Minister for Education and Science Mary Hanafin has expressed concern about a new trend which has seen members of the public raise planning objections to new or upgraded school facilities. Until recently, she said, such objections were virtually unknown.
Ms Hanafin was speaking during a special briefing on the €32 billion education package in the new National Development Plan (NDP).
She said the objections raised - especially by those living in mature areas in Dublin and other major cities - was delaying the roll-out of some new school projects. She could understand people objecting to large-scale school developments providing for up to 1,000 pupils and the extra traffic this might generate.
However, she said, some applications for temporary accommodation like prefabs were drawing objections. "People are objecting to temporary accommodation which I cannot understand because it can offer an immediate response to the educational needs of children in their own community, " she said.
At present, the department is dealing with objections raised to school building plans in several counties including Kilkenny, Galway and Westmeath. Officials said objections usually come from long-established residents in well developed areas.
Meanwhile, the failure of the department's school-building programme to keep pace with rapidly developing areas in commuter towns in west Dublin, Kildare and Meath has been widely criticised.
Officials however said yesterday that new generic school designs and closer co-operation with local authorities would speed up the process. A series of meetings is ongoing between department officials and county managers to quicken the process of site-acquisition and planning.
Twenty-two sites have been purchased for school buildings in Dublin in the past year, most of them in rapidly growing areas.
More than €5 billion will be invested in school building and modernisation during the seven years of the NDP. Of this, €2.2 billion will go to primary schools, €1.6 billion to second-level with the balance made up of public private partnerships.
In all, there will be 100,000 additional places; this should meet the projected increase in the number of primary pupils over the next seven years.
The number of second-level pupils is also expected to increase dramatically from about 2012 but Ms Hanafin said there was sufficient surplus capacity in the second-level system to cope.
Monday, 29 January 2007
Engineers Ireland allays concerns that NDP will boost inflation
Concerns expressed about excessive construction inflation and cost overruns in respect of the new €184 billion National Development Plan are being over-stated - according to the Director General of Engineers Ireland, Kevin Kernan.
"While it is understandable that this matter should be raised, the clear record of the last couple of years in respect of major infrastructural projects in terms of timely delivery and being on budget, highlights the expertise now built up in the engineering and allied sectors" - he said.
Mr. Kernan said that the threat to the timely delivery of key elements of the new NDP should not be understated either - and "it remains to be seen if the Strategic Infrastructure Act - specifically aimed at speeding up the planning process, including processing objections - can achieve a real breakthrough when these problems arise."
He added - "In order to ensure value for money in the NDP, it will be vital that projects are clearly defined and scoped prior to tendering. Recent experience has indicated that demand for infrastructure has usually been underestimated - so, it is essential that this time around, capacity is provided ahead of demand."
The Engineers Ireland Director General also warmly welcomed the emphasis in the new Plan on achieving balanced regional development - and the focus on further ICT and broadband development, as vital to achieving the goal of transforming Ireland into a knowledge economy.
"It is essential that the NDP is closely linked to the key elements of the National Spatial Strategy - updated in line with data from last year's census."
"While it is understandable that this matter should be raised, the clear record of the last couple of years in respect of major infrastructural projects in terms of timely delivery and being on budget, highlights the expertise now built up in the engineering and allied sectors" - he said.
Mr. Kernan said that the threat to the timely delivery of key elements of the new NDP should not be understated either - and "it remains to be seen if the Strategic Infrastructure Act - specifically aimed at speeding up the planning process, including processing objections - can achieve a real breakthrough when these problems arise."
He added - "In order to ensure value for money in the NDP, it will be vital that projects are clearly defined and scoped prior to tendering. Recent experience has indicated that demand for infrastructure has usually been underestimated - so, it is essential that this time around, capacity is provided ahead of demand."
The Engineers Ireland Director General also warmly welcomed the emphasis in the new Plan on achieving balanced regional development - and the focus on further ICT and broadband development, as vital to achieving the goal of transforming Ireland into a knowledge economy.
"It is essential that the NDP is closely linked to the key elements of the National Spatial Strategy - updated in line with data from last year's census."
Wednesday, 24 January 2007
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY AND BALANCED REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT CORNERSTONES OF NDP 2007-2013
What do you think? Here's the Dept of Environment's press release:
"Environmental sustainability and balanced regional development are cornerstones of the National Development Plan" said Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government following today's (23rd January 2007) publication of the National Development Plan 2007-2013 which includes investment of over €32 billion on measures for which his Department is responsible.
Environmental Sustainability
"The Government is convinced that economic growth and progressive environmental policies can, and must, go hand in hand. Sound environmental management is now an accepted prerequisite for all of Ireland's key industries and will create further economic opportunity. Environmental protection and economic progress are increasingly being viewed as mutually reinforcing.
Because of this the National Development Plan has been constructed around principles that are as environmentally robust as possible. The NDP does not simply list out some environmental projects on which money is to be spent: it analyses the principal environmental issues facing our country and it sets out the action to be taken to address them. Some of these actions require direct investment and some require other responses on our part. It adds up to a clear, rational and consistent approach which will generate results, just like the Plan as a whole" he said.
The Minister pointed out that some €25 billion will be invested in programmes generating an environmental dividend. The include, but are not limited to, public transport, water and waste water services, waste management, climate change, sustainable energy, natural and built heritage and research into environmental technologies. "All these programmes will give rise to real benefits for our environment. Better public transport systems will encourage people to switch from private to public transport and this is a win-win solution. It will enable people to travel for work or for pleasure more sustainably and quickly. It will see reductions in vehicle emissions and assist in meeting our Kyoto targets for greenhouse gases" said the Minister.
He also said that the Plan would continue to provide resources for drinking water quality, effluent disposal and waste management, all of which would build upon the rapid progress made in these services in recent years.
Achievements of NDP 2000-2006
"This National Development Plan is being launched from a very solid base" said the Minister "with huge investment made and real and lasting outputs achieved under the NDP 2000-2006 which positions us well for the next phase of the development of our economy and society". For example, under NDP 2000-2006:
· 337 water and wastewater projects were completed (up to the middle of 2006) with an investment of €3.2 billion over the period of the Plan. The increase in wastewater treatment capacity since 2000 is the equivalent to the needs of a population of 3.1 million. Irish wastewater discharges rose from 25% compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive in 2000 to over 90% today.
· 39,000 Local Authority and Voluntary Housing units and 12,400 Affordable Housing units were provided with an investment of over €10 billion;
· spending on non-national roads reached over €3.1 billion – 30% ahead of target. Over 51,000 kilometres of non-national roads were improved/restored between 2000 and the end of 2005;
· the 2013 national recycling target was achieved in 2005, 8 years ahead of schedule.
National Spatial Strategy/Gateways Innovation Fund
"The National Spatial Strategy has already been a driving force behind infrastructure decisions taken by Government since it was launched in 2002" said the Minister. "For example, it was a key influence in determining the scale and priority of investment under Transport 21. It has led to a reorientation of investment under my Department's water and sewerage services investment programme and had led to the introduction of a scheme to support development of Strategic Non-National Roads for NSS gateway areas. This new NDP allows us systematically thread the NSS through our investment policy."
Continued and accelerated implementation of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) is the Government's main policy instrument for achieving more balanced regional development over the period of the NDP.
Under the NDP, investment in the regions, particularly infrastructure investment, will be based on the regional planning roadmap set out in the NSS and which has already been translated into regional planning guidelines which set the strategic policy agenda for local authority development plans at city and county level. These guidelines will be the template to secure good alignment between public investment plans at national level and physical planning at regional and local levels.
The Minister particularly welcomed the establishment of a dedicated Gateways Innovation Fund with an initial Exchequer allocation of €300 million to cover its operations over the period 2008-2010; this will be reviewed as part of the NDP Mid-term Review foreseen for 2010. In welcoming the Fund, Minister Roche said, "The Fund is evidence of the Government's commitment to the NSS. It will provide tangible support to the development of the nine Gateway cities and towns designated under the NSS allowing them to provide a competitive and vibrant environment for enterprise, and a high quality of life that attracts people to live in them. Strong Gateways will be drivers for the development of their wider regions, including surrounding towns, villages and rural areas ".
The Minister highlighted the interrelationship between environmental quality and the National Spatial Strategy. "This Plan is a good example of joined up thinking," he said. "Better spatial planning reduces our environmental footprint. It enables us to avoid long commuting distances, and to live close to the infrastructure and amenities on which a modern society depends. It will give rise to the critical mass of development that will repay investment in public transport. Everyone benefits. A better quality of life and a better environment can, and will, go hand in hand".
National Development Plan 2007-2013
"We have committed very significant resources under NDP 2007-2013 so that we can decisively tackle the remaining priority infrastructural challenges" said the Minister. He pointed to:
· a proposed investment of over €21 billion, of which about €15.5 billion, will come from the Exchequer, on housing measures that will address the accommodation needs of 140,000 households;
· an investment of €4.7 billion on Water Services, to facilitate economic, housing, and other development while ensuring that environmental sustainability objectives are achieved. Meeting the development needs of NSS gateways and hubs while be a key priority.
· a total of €4.3 billion being invested in non-national roads aimed at improvement of and maintenance of the non-national road network and on strategic non-national roads with a particular focus on roads in NSS gateway areas;
· waste management remaining a key priority with total investment of some €750 million by the public and private sectors. The main aim of this investment is to address the problems associated with legacy landfills, support, through private investment, the development of thermal treatment plants to reduce landfill usage and continue to promote recycling and recovery;
· the Government's commitment to achieving it's Kyoto protocol targets with a provision of up to €270 million for the purchase of carbon credits through the Carbon Fund which is to be established through legislation this year;
· investment of €895 million on community infrastructure, which includes €476 million for urban and village renewal, public libraries and fire services:
o The Urban and Village Renewal programme will support projects aimed at enhancing the public realm such as streetscapes, public buildings, squares, parks and riverfronts, cycling and pedestrian facilities.
o Investment under the libraries programme will be aimed at further improvement and expansion of the public library service through library infrastructure provision, ICT provision, improvements in the range and quality of the stock and improvements in service provision. This will build on the major programme of improvements introduced since 1998 with the publication of the Government's "Branching Out – a New Public Library Service". Since then, 51 new libraries have been opened including 9 in 2006.
o Investment in Fire Services will support the further development of this key service which has benefited from the completion of 37 new fire stations since 1999.
· significant investment being made across a range of other programmes including Built and Natural Heritage (€540 million) and Environmental Research (€93 million).
"The key challenge now is delivery and doing so in a way that secures cost certainty and value for money. A flexible construction industry, a well resourced local authority system, new fixed price contracts and new streamlined planning processes introduced under the Strategic Infrastructure Act are important parts of the armoury that will allow us achieve these objectives" concluded the Minister.
"Environmental sustainability and balanced regional development are cornerstones of the National Development Plan" said Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government following today's (23rd January 2007) publication of the National Development Plan 2007-2013 which includes investment of over €32 billion on measures for which his Department is responsible.
Environmental Sustainability
"The Government is convinced that economic growth and progressive environmental policies can, and must, go hand in hand. Sound environmental management is now an accepted prerequisite for all of Ireland's key industries and will create further economic opportunity. Environmental protection and economic progress are increasingly being viewed as mutually reinforcing.
Because of this the National Development Plan has been constructed around principles that are as environmentally robust as possible. The NDP does not simply list out some environmental projects on which money is to be spent: it analyses the principal environmental issues facing our country and it sets out the action to be taken to address them. Some of these actions require direct investment and some require other responses on our part. It adds up to a clear, rational and consistent approach which will generate results, just like the Plan as a whole" he said.
The Minister pointed out that some €25 billion will be invested in programmes generating an environmental dividend. The include, but are not limited to, public transport, water and waste water services, waste management, climate change, sustainable energy, natural and built heritage and research into environmental technologies. "All these programmes will give rise to real benefits for our environment. Better public transport systems will encourage people to switch from private to public transport and this is a win-win solution. It will enable people to travel for work or for pleasure more sustainably and quickly. It will see reductions in vehicle emissions and assist in meeting our Kyoto targets for greenhouse gases" said the Minister.
He also said that the Plan would continue to provide resources for drinking water quality, effluent disposal and waste management, all of which would build upon the rapid progress made in these services in recent years.
Achievements of NDP 2000-2006
"This National Development Plan is being launched from a very solid base" said the Minister "with huge investment made and real and lasting outputs achieved under the NDP 2000-2006 which positions us well for the next phase of the development of our economy and society". For example, under NDP 2000-2006:
· 337 water and wastewater projects were completed (up to the middle of 2006) with an investment of €3.2 billion over the period of the Plan. The increase in wastewater treatment capacity since 2000 is the equivalent to the needs of a population of 3.1 million. Irish wastewater discharges rose from 25% compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive in 2000 to over 90% today.
· 39,000 Local Authority and Voluntary Housing units and 12,400 Affordable Housing units were provided with an investment of over €10 billion;
· spending on non-national roads reached over €3.1 billion – 30% ahead of target. Over 51,000 kilometres of non-national roads were improved/restored between 2000 and the end of 2005;
· the 2013 national recycling target was achieved in 2005, 8 years ahead of schedule.
National Spatial Strategy/Gateways Innovation Fund
"The National Spatial Strategy has already been a driving force behind infrastructure decisions taken by Government since it was launched in 2002" said the Minister. "For example, it was a key influence in determining the scale and priority of investment under Transport 21. It has led to a reorientation of investment under my Department's water and sewerage services investment programme and had led to the introduction of a scheme to support development of Strategic Non-National Roads for NSS gateway areas. This new NDP allows us systematically thread the NSS through our investment policy."
Continued and accelerated implementation of the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) is the Government's main policy instrument for achieving more balanced regional development over the period of the NDP.
Under the NDP, investment in the regions, particularly infrastructure investment, will be based on the regional planning roadmap set out in the NSS and which has already been translated into regional planning guidelines which set the strategic policy agenda for local authority development plans at city and county level. These guidelines will be the template to secure good alignment between public investment plans at national level and physical planning at regional and local levels.
The Minister particularly welcomed the establishment of a dedicated Gateways Innovation Fund with an initial Exchequer allocation of €300 million to cover its operations over the period 2008-2010; this will be reviewed as part of the NDP Mid-term Review foreseen for 2010. In welcoming the Fund, Minister Roche said, "The Fund is evidence of the Government's commitment to the NSS. It will provide tangible support to the development of the nine Gateway cities and towns designated under the NSS allowing them to provide a competitive and vibrant environment for enterprise, and a high quality of life that attracts people to live in them. Strong Gateways will be drivers for the development of their wider regions, including surrounding towns, villages and rural areas ".
The Minister highlighted the interrelationship between environmental quality and the National Spatial Strategy. "This Plan is a good example of joined up thinking," he said. "Better spatial planning reduces our environmental footprint. It enables us to avoid long commuting distances, and to live close to the infrastructure and amenities on which a modern society depends. It will give rise to the critical mass of development that will repay investment in public transport. Everyone benefits. A better quality of life and a better environment can, and will, go hand in hand".
National Development Plan 2007-2013
"We have committed very significant resources under NDP 2007-2013 so that we can decisively tackle the remaining priority infrastructural challenges" said the Minister. He pointed to:
· a proposed investment of over €21 billion, of which about €15.5 billion, will come from the Exchequer, on housing measures that will address the accommodation needs of 140,000 households;
· an investment of €4.7 billion on Water Services, to facilitate economic, housing, and other development while ensuring that environmental sustainability objectives are achieved. Meeting the development needs of NSS gateways and hubs while be a key priority.
· a total of €4.3 billion being invested in non-national roads aimed at improvement of and maintenance of the non-national road network and on strategic non-national roads with a particular focus on roads in NSS gateway areas;
· waste management remaining a key priority with total investment of some €750 million by the public and private sectors. The main aim of this investment is to address the problems associated with legacy landfills, support, through private investment, the development of thermal treatment plants to reduce landfill usage and continue to promote recycling and recovery;
· the Government's commitment to achieving it's Kyoto protocol targets with a provision of up to €270 million for the purchase of carbon credits through the Carbon Fund which is to be established through legislation this year;
· investment of €895 million on community infrastructure, which includes €476 million for urban and village renewal, public libraries and fire services:
o The Urban and Village Renewal programme will support projects aimed at enhancing the public realm such as streetscapes, public buildings, squares, parks and riverfronts, cycling and pedestrian facilities.
o Investment under the libraries programme will be aimed at further improvement and expansion of the public library service through library infrastructure provision, ICT provision, improvements in the range and quality of the stock and improvements in service provision. This will build on the major programme of improvements introduced since 1998 with the publication of the Government's "Branching Out – a New Public Library Service". Since then, 51 new libraries have been opened including 9 in 2006.
o Investment in Fire Services will support the further development of this key service which has benefited from the completion of 37 new fire stations since 1999.
· significant investment being made across a range of other programmes including Built and Natural Heritage (€540 million) and Environmental Research (€93 million).
"The key challenge now is delivery and doing so in a way that secures cost certainty and value for money. A flexible construction industry, a well resourced local authority system, new fixed price contracts and new streamlined planning processes introduced under the Strategic Infrastructure Act are important parts of the armoury that will allow us achieve these objectives" concluded the Minister.
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