{"id":23337,"date":"2021-10-04T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T12:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23337"},"modified":"2021-10-04T09:08:28","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T13:08:28","slug":"government-will-honor-commitment-to-public-transport-spending-says-mcgrath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=23337","title":{"rendered":"Government Will Honor Commitment To Public Transport Spending Says McGrath"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath (PA Media<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has said the government will \u201chonor\u201d its commitment to a two-to-one spending ratio on public transport to roads as part of its National Development Plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan sets out the big transport and road projects the Government will spend money on from now until 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael McGrath said public transport needs \u201ctransformative change\u201d, which he said is provided for in the Government\u2019s revised plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Development Plan will be launched later on Monday after the Irish government signs off on the blueprint during a meeting in Cork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr McGrath said it will be the largest public capital investment program in the history of the state in transport and housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 10-year plan has an overall budget of $192 billion (\u20ac165 billion).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It plans for transport projects worth $41 billion (\u20ac35 billion) up to the end of the decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr McGrath said: \u201cThere is a program for government commitment, which was agreed to by the three parties on entering government last year, and that is that when it comes to new infrastructure investment in transport, there will be a ratio of two to one in favor of public transport investment, relative to investment in new road infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are looking at a transport capital budget of \u20ac35 billion out to 2030, and there are a whole range of projects at different stages in the project development life cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I want to see now is an element of competition, whereby all of those involved in promoting and sponsoring these projects get them through all those various stages to the point where they are ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the ratio still allows funding for road projects to be advanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI mean, for example here we (have) Dunkettle Interchange being built in Cork, the N22 and other projects are in the pipeline, which will also be delivered,\u201d Mr McGrath added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA number of the major public transport projects, which are so important for our country, will take a number of years to get to the point where they\u2019re ready for construction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To ensure the project does not run over budget, the minister said he has brought in reforms for external oversight of major capital investment projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he has brought in additional members to the Project Ireland 2040 Delivery Board, which has overall responsibility for monitoring and leading the implementation of the National Development Plan and its planning framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo people with external expertise in delivering projects in the private sector, for example, will be joining that board to lend that experience to the state,\u201d the Fianna F\u00e1il minister added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn addition, a new major projects advisory group is being established to support the work of my own department and again, the appointment of people to that new group will be through an open competitive process.\u201d<\/p>\n

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