Galway Chamber has delivered a submission to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the Review to Renew element of the National Development plan.
The National Development Plan 2018 - 2027 (NDP ) sets out the investment priorities that will underpin the implementation of the National Planning Framework, through a total national investment of approximately €116 billion. The Government initiated a review so that the updated NDP can support economic, social, environmental and cultural development across the country.
Spending increase needed
The review of the National Development Plan comes at an unprecedented moment for Galway and the wider region, in meeting the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to protect and enhance Galway as a place to live, work, learn and visit.
As part of the submission, Galway Chamber stated that the level of spending on capital projects needs to increase if the ambitions outlined in Project Ireland 2040 are to be achieved for Galway and the North West Region.
The business organisation lobbied that capital budgets should be spent on areas such as, affordable housing for all sectors of society including social housing, full funding for the Galway Transport Strategy (GTS ) as envisaged by the NTA as well as the Galway City Ring Road (GCRR ), direct grant funding support for the smaller state-owned Airports for essential capital projects, among others.
Projects to be prioritised
Galway Chamber stated the types of capital investments that should be prioritised are projects which enable the delivery of balanced regional development, to reverse the trends of underinvestment in the last decade which has resulted in Galway’s Transition Region status. Galway Chamber wants to see delivery that enables our city and region to be more Urban, Connected, Smart, and Green.
Galway Chamber’s closing comments in the submission stated that the NDP calls for a level of parity between the regions. Galway Chamber state that the supports available to indigenous start-ups must be the same in the regions as those provided in the Greater Dublin Area. This includes funding of regional accelerators and innovation districts.
President of Galway Chamber, JP Gilmartin said that the implementation of the NDP could have a monumental impact on our region provided there is a streamlined, systematic process, that enables prioritised delivery of projects.
"To realise the balanced regional development goals of Project Ireland 2040, utilising the enabling investment contemplated by the NDP, we need to see an escalation of delivery, simplification of processes and an increased allocation of funding to the Western Region," he said.
