Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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83. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an overview of the progress made to date under National Strategic Outcome 3 of the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19822/24]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. The responsibility for the management and delivery of individual investment projects or sectoral policy strategies, within the allocations agreed under the National Development Plan (NDP), rests with the individual sponsoring Department in each case. Each Minister is responsible for deciding on the priority programmes and projects that will be delivered under their remit within the NDP and for setting out the timelines for delivery.

The NDP contains expenditure commitments for NSO 3 which relates to strengthening rural economies and communities. The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), launched in 2018, is providing the investment needed to support rural renewal, strengthen and build resilience in rural towns, villages and communities and deliver on the objectives of Project Ireland 2040. The RRDF is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) and is complemented by a range of additional programmes and schemes delivered under the Department’s Rural Regeneration Programme as part of Project Ireland 2040, which helps maintain and develop the growth and vitality of rural areas and supports communities and organisations to meet their needs. The four schemes funded through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund are the RRDF Category 1 and 2, the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme.

The RRDF Category 1 and Category 2 funding is targeted towards revitalising rural towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas. This is being achieved through addressing dereliction, ensuring the re-use of heritage and other buildings and providing essential facilities and infrastructure, including remote working and digital hubs.

Under the RRDF, funding of €414 million has been approved for 215 projects worth €571 million. A total of 24 Category 1 RRDF projects, approved for funding of €45.5 million, were completed in 2023. Completed projects include Virginia Library and Civic Centre project; An Ríoga project in Roscommon; Trim Library and Cultural Centre; and Kinsale Library Project.

In October 2023, the fifth call for Category 1 RRDF applications was announced. Category 1 funding is for large-scale, ambitious capital projects with all necessary planning and other consents in place and which are ready to proceed. The successful projects will be announced in Q2 2024.

Also under NSO 3, I welcome the positive progress being made under the National Broadband Plan (NBP). Under the NBP, I note that, as of 19 April 2024, over 254,400 premises are now available to order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection from National Broadband Ireland, with over 237,800 premises passed and available for immediate connection.

Also under NSO 3, there has been significant investment in the Regional and Local Road Grant Programme, including the completion of the N56 Mountcharles to Inver Road and N59 Moycullen Bypass.

Further details of projects and programmes being delivered under NSO 3 can be found in the latest capital investment tracker, which I published yesterday and provides a composite update on the progress of all major investments with an estimated cost of greater than €20 million. Accompanying the tracker, the myProjectIreland interactive map details projects across the country and provides details on specific projects by county, and contains smaller investments such as schools and social housing projects. Search facilities also allow citizens to view projects in their regional area, by city, by county or by eircode.

The Project Ireland 2040 capital investment tracker and myProjectIreland interactive map are all available on gov.ie/2040.