Project Ireland 2040: The latest developments

In 2025, the capital ceiling for projects under Project Ireland 2040 and the National Development Plan 2021-2030 is set to increase by €1.4 billion to an overall annual spend of €14.5 billion, the Government’s latest progress report on Project Ireland 2040 has shown.

The Project Ireland 2040 Annual Report for 2023, published in September 2024 states that key achievements in 2023 include the completion of over 330 school building projects, with investment in the School Building Programme exceeding €1.26 billion. The healthcare sector also saw notable progress, with the completion of five community nursing units and nine primary care centres.

Transport infrastructure was strengthened with the delivery of major road projects such as the N5 Westport to Turlough in County Mayo, and the N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom in County Cork, alongside the rollout of 100 new double-decker buses for Dublin as part of a push towards sustainable public transport. Additionally, the National Broadband Plan connected over 205,600 premises to high-speed internet.

Complementing the annual report, three regional reports examine investments in the eastern and midland, northern and western, and southern regions.

Other public investment sectors

• A new Forensic Science Laboratory at Backweston, County Kildare was completed and handed over to Forensic Science Ireland in July 2023.
• Significant progress made on Dublin Family Courts Complex.

Compact growth

• 11,939 new homes were brought into the active social housing stock including 8,110 new build social homes
• Social Housing PPP programme: In January 2023 Bundle 6 was announced which will provide approximately 500 new social homes while Bundle 7, announced in November, 2023, will provide approximately 650 new social homes.

Enhanced regional accessibility

• N21/N69 Limerick to Adare to Foynes: Cabinet approval November 2023 for acceleration of Adare Bypass in time for the 2027 Ryder Cup.
• N5 Westport to Turlough, Mayo: Scheme officially opened June 2023
• M8/N25 Dunkettle Interchange: Construction was ongoing in 2023 and the upgrade scheme was officially opened in February 2024 • N22 Ballyvourney to Macroom road: Opened November 2023

Strengthened rural economies and communities

• National Broadband Plan: 283 broadband connection points (BCPs) and 672 school strategic connection points (SCPs) were in place by the end of 2023. As at the end of 2023, over 446,500 premises have had detailed designs completed, and over 217,000 premises were available for order/pre-order. In addition, over 205,600 premises were passed and able to avail of a high-speed broadband connection, with over 65,700 premises already connected. The NBP programme is active in every county in the State, and is stated as being “ahead of schedule”.
• Under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund (RRDF), 24 Category 1 projects were approved for funding of €45.5 million were completed in 2023. Completed projects included The Virginia Library, An Ríoga Project in County Roscommon and the Trim Library and Cultural Centre.
• €22.3 million was invested in Town and Village Renewal Scheme projects, including €4.6 million which supported the purchase of 24 properties in our rural towns
• Investment of €607 million under the Regional and Local Road Grant Programme • Athy Southern Distributor Road construction was Completed

Sustainable mobility

• BusConnects Dublin: In December 2023, An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the first Core Bus Corridor scheme from Liffey Valley to Dublin city centre
• BusConnects Cork: Third round of non-statutory public consultation on the 11 sustainable transport corridors commenced ran from November to December 2023
• BusConnects Galway: The Salmon Weir Bridge opened to the public in May 2023.
• BusConnects Limerick: The National Transport Authority published its final new bus network for Limerick in December 2023
• BusConnects Waterford: Workshops on the redesign of Waterford’s City bus network have been complete
• 100 new double-deck electric buses for the Dublin area fleets were delivered
• An Oral Hearing for DART+ West was held in October 2023 and a Railway Order for DART+ South West was lodged in March 2023
• Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme: The construction contract for the additional platform at Kent Station was awarded in early 2023 and enabling works have begun on site
• 34 new double decker electric buses entering service in Limerick
• Active travel: 50 school projects under the Safe Routes to School Programme (SRTS) completed by the end of December 2023.
• Greenway construction projects: 54 kilometres completed in 2023 including sections on the South-East Greenway

Enhanced amenity and heritage

• A number of projects were advanced in 2023 including the Crawford Art Gallery, the National Concert Hall, the National History Museum, and the Chester Beatty Library
• 142 projects were funded in National Parks and Reserves
• Black Islands on Lough Ree was acquired by the National Parks and Wildlife Service
• Almost €990,000 disbursed through the Cultural Digitisation Scheme
• Planning permission was awarded in January 2023 for the development of a National Velodrome and Badminton Centre at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus
• Fáilte Ireland continued to progress a national pipeline of 27 large scale attractions: Mount Congreve House and Gardens, in County Waterford, and the new National Surf Centre in Strandhill, County Sligo were opened.

Climate action

• 47,952 home energy upgrades were supported in 2023, compared to 27,200 in 2022, representing a 76 per cent increase year-on year.
• 55 flood relief schemes completed by end-2023.

Sustainable management of water and other environmental resources

• Nine new wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) were completed (Kilcar, Ahascragh, Spiddal, Burtonport, Kerrykeel, Liscannor, Kilmore Quay, Castletownsend, and Inchigeelagh WWTP)
• 33 upgraded WWTPs were completed including Ringsend, Blessington and Mallow WWTP
• Eight water treatment plant (WTP) upgrades were completed including Achill WTP

A strong economy, supported by enterprise, innovation and skills

• 300,583 in IDA supported employment
• 225,495 in EI supported employment
• The STEM Extension building in Dundalk Institute of Technology was completed
• The Extension to Central Campus (EO1 Project) at Atlantic Technological University (Sligo) was completed in 2023
• The UCD Future Campus Project progressed on site in 2023
• Dublin City University (DCU) Polaris Building and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) E3 Learning Foundry: Phase 1 continued progressing on site in 2023.

Access to quality childcare, education and health services

• Over 330 school building projects were delivered under the large-scale and additional accommodation programmes, of which over 100 are modular projects.
• A further 300 school building projects are at construction, including 31 new school builds.
• Construction commenced on Project Nore, a bundle of seven large-scale school building projects that are being delivered by the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) for the Department of Education across schools in Tipperary, Kilkenny, Westmeath and Kildare.
• In Q4 2023 the new school campus at Carrigtwohill which will accommodate some 2,000 students reached substantial completion.
• 5 community nursing units (CNUs) were completed.
• 9 new primary care centres were completed, bringing the total to 174.
• Progress on the New Children’s Hospital now 90 per cent complete. • Reinstatement works and upgrade at Wexford General Hospital.

High quality international connectivity

• In December 2023, Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) substantially completed three major capacity extension works projects
• daa applied for planning permission for a suite of infrastructure projects at Dublin Airport
• Shannon Airport Group continued the sustainable transformation of commercial properties across the Shannon Campus