The Government has committed €275bn over the next 10 years to the National Development Plan, and the move, despite its lack of detail, has been welcomed by experts.

The total investment of €275.4bn is in part funded by the €14bn in Apple back taxes and proceeds from the sale of the state's share in AIB, as well as the state's Future Ireland Fund and Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund.

Speaking at Government Buildings this afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the updated National Development Plan represents the largest investment in economic and social infrastructure in the history of the state.

Reacting to the news, Fergal O’Brien, Executive Director of Lobbying and Influence at Ibec, says he supports Ireland’s NDP, seeing it as a crucial step toward addressing long-standing infrastructure gaps and ensuring future prosperity, saying: “The plan’s outline of €200bn in capital expenditure over the coming decade aligns with the ambition set out in our recent Our Business Ambition campaign and sets a very positive outlook for infrastructure delivery and the country’s future prosperity.

“This sustained level of investment is essential if we are to address the persistent infrastructure deficits identified by the IMF, which recently noted that we lag 32 per cent behind our peers.”

O’Brien emphasises the need to prioritise infrastructure spending over other fiscal measures and move away from Ireland’s “damaging ‘famine or feast’ approach to investing in critical infrastructure.”

He also calls for a fiscal investment target aligned with the NDP, multiannual funding to avoid annual budget delays, and major reforms to speed up project delivery.

“The Government should implement multiannual funding for major infrastructure projects to enable continuous progress without being constrained by the annual Budget cycle.

“There must be a significant improvement in how nationally important projects are delivered.

“State-imposed barriers, many already identified in the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce’s report, must be urgently addressed.

“Faster delivery is achievable by tackling fragmented approaches, improving coordination across Government, reducing decision timelines, streamlining procurement, strengthening planning, and prioritising public engagement and the common good.”

Ferga Kane, EY Ireland Partner, Infrastructure and Real Estate Sector Lead, highlights the NDP as a major milestone, providing long-term funding and policy certainty for infrastructure in Ireland through 2035.

She welcomes significant investments in energy, water, and R&D, viewing them as vital for supporting broader development and economic growth.

“It’s particularly welcome to see the substantial investment in both energy and water, which is crucial to underpinning wider development across housing, transport, and social infrastructure and drive economic growth.

“The additional investment in Research and Development is also very positive.”

Kane says the emphasis on faster project approvals and modern construction methods “will be key in delivering on this enhanced NDP”.

And she also stresses the importance of ensuring that government departments and agencies are properly resourced to handle the scale of planned investment.

“Specific detail on projects will come at a later stage, and it will be important that the Departments and Agencies involved in delivery, for example, in planning and licensing, are equipped with the resources needed to support this unprecedented level of infrastructure investment."

Paul O’Neill, Head of Strategic & Commercial Infrastructure Advisory at KPMG, said: “Ireland is at a crossroads.

“The ambition of the plan is welcome - but ambition must now be matched by execution. Without faster progress, we risk missing critical opportunities for housing, transport, energy, and digital development.”

Matthew King, Head of Asset Management & Major Projects Advisory at KPMG, added: “The planning system remains a major bottleneck, particularly for large-scale energy and transport projects.

"The capacity of the construction sector is also under pressure — and unless we prioritise delivery and improve coordination, projects will stall.”

Photo: Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Simon Harris announce details of the revised National Development Plan and the Summer Economic Statement at a press conference in Government Buildings. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ie