The Government have launched the new National Development Plan 2021-2030 in Páirc Uí Chaoimh today – outlining the largest NDP ever delivered in the history of the State, at €165 billion.

The plan arrives with a particular focus on priority solutions to strengthen housing, climate ambitions, transport, healthcare, jobs growth and economic renewal for the decade ahead, as the country prepares for population growth of approximately one million between 2016 and 2040, as well as the ongoing challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit.

"We need to anticipate what the Ireland of 2040 will look like – what our jobs will be like, how we will travel, how we will live," Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said. "With a rapidly rising population, Ireland needs to invest big in infrastructure.

"Since 2017, the percentage of Gross National Income committed to public infrastructure has risen from 2.5% to about 4.5%," he continued. "That's now substantially higher than the EU average and well ahead of our peers like The Netherlands and Denmark.

"This updated NDP will see this level of investment continue and grow to 5% of GNI, from €12.7bn this year to €19.3bn in 2030. We are investing in the future and going for growth."

The Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, has welcomed the launch of the NDP. The plan includes a significant package of capital investment of over €1 billion from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media over the period 2021 to 2025.

"I am very pleased to announce the capital investment priorities for my Department," commented Minister Martin, "Which will support economic recovery and resilience in the Tourism, Arts, Culture, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media sectors, while also enhancing individual and community wellbeing and advancing social, economic and environmental sustainability to protect our unique cultural, linguistic and sporting heritage for generations to come."

She went on to state that she's "excited about the investments we are making in redeveloping and enhancing the sustainability of our national and regional cultural infrastructure."

"In particular, I look forward to the delivery of significant capital projects at our National Cultural Institutions, like the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork which will see an ambitious redevelopment to open our National Collections up to even more people, to enhancing the visitor experience of the gallery, while also protecting and enhancing the sustainability of this historic building at the heart of the city," she added.

Ministers @cathmartingreen & @jackfchambers welcome the #NationalDevelopmentPlan 2021-2030 launch.

The Dept’s capital investment will

🟢Promote Economic Recovery & Resilience
🟢Support Well-being & Social Cohesion
🟢Enhance Sustainabilityhttps://t.co/bayho3Q0Bp #Ireland2040 pic.twitter.com/jOwaD0JwaT

— Tourism-Culture-Arts-Gaeltacht-Sport-Media (@DeptCulturelRL) October 4, 2021

According to a press release, key priorities in terms of Arts, Culture and Media include:

• Strengthening Ireland’s reputation as a leader in the cultural arena through the development of a world-class network of sustainable cultural infrastructure through the National Cultural Institutions Investment Programme.
• Supporting place-making through investment in Regional Cultural Infrastructure, with a focus on sustainable and energy efficient infrastructural investment.
• Developing the Creative Industries and a vibrant Media Production and Audio Visual Sector through investment in Screen Ireland and the Media Commission (which is to replace the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland).
• Safeguarding Ireland's important cultural heritage through Digitisation of the National Collections, which will provide new ways to interact with our rich collection of artistic works and important historical artefacts, as well as providing increased opportunities to access the collections.

Read the full National Development Plan 2021-2030 here.