National Development Plan (2007-2013)

4th August 2005

Announcement by Minister Willie O’Dea, T.D.

The Government announced today that it has agreed to the preparation of a successor to the current National Development Plan which runs to the end of 2006. The new National Development Plan will cover the 7 year period from 2007 to 2013.  The preparation of the new Plan will be co-ordinated by the Department of Finance.
 
Announcing the decision, Minister Willie O’Dea T.D. stated that the current National Development Plan is delivering an unprecedented enhancement in our economic and social infrastructure. The mid-term review of the NDP conducted by the ESRI in 2003 had strongly affirmed the strategy of the current NDP and pointed to the major economic return from NDP investment.

Minister O’Dea said that it was intended to build on that success and that the Government will now set out a new blueprint for investment for the 7 year period after the current Plan expired.  The new Plan would in particular seek to address the investment now necessary to maintain national competitiveness within a sustainable economic and budgetary framework.  To this end the 2007-2013 Plan would particularly focus on the priorities for investment in public economic and social infrastructure in the transport, environmental services, housing, education, health, childcare and R+D areas and for investment in human resources in the education and training fields. The Plan will take account of the National Spatial Strategy, environmental sustainability, the all-island dimension and the requirements of the EU Lisbon process.

Minister O’Dea noted that the latest study on public awareness of the current NDP, published recently, indicated public support for the concept of a National Development Plan.

Minister O’Dea indicated that virtually all funding for investment under the post 2007 Plan would come from the Exchequer. He noted that a solid financial framework for capital investment was already in place through the multi-annual capital envelopes system introduced in Budget 2004.  He added that a full scale consultation process on the Plan would commence in the autumn. This would involve in particular the social partners, regional interests and other concerned interest groups. It was envisaged that Plan 2007-2013 would be launched late in 2006.

Finally, Minister O’Dea indicated that separately and in parallel to the drafting of the post 2007 NDP, the Government will draft a programme to promote social inclusion and tackle poverty. This will be done through the National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion (NAP inc.) 2006-2009, the preparation of which will be co-ordinated by the Department of Social and Family Affairs.