Project Ireland 2040 : National Development Plan 2018-2027

Abstract

The National Development Plan 2018-2027 is the most recent in the series of such capital plans adopted since 1988. This included three multi-annual National Development Plans which spanned the period to 2006. The substantial levels of public investment undertaken under these plans over that period played a central role driving the economic convergence of the Irish economy and in enabling the substantial social progress achieved. Following the onset of the economic and fiscal crisis,the public infrastructure that had been put in place over the past two decades played a very important role supporting the resilience and recovery of the economy. However, in the years following the crisis public investment was significantly constrained to safeguard the provision of essential public services. As highlighted in the 2017 review of the 2015 capital plan, and also by a number of national and international assessments, this has led to the development of some important shortfalls in the volume and quality of Ireland's public capital infrastructure.