Unprecedented levels of infrastructure investment

Minister of State, David Hanson, has today highlighted the unprecedented levels of infrastructure investment that governments North and South of the border are committing to spend over the next decade.



Speaking today at the All Island Infrastructure Investment Conference in Newcastle, supported by the Strategic Investment Board (SIB) and the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), he said: “Given the scale and importance of the infrastructure programmes the two governments are undertaking, the necessity for a coordinated and cohesive approach to infrastructure investment on the island has never been greater.”



In addition to stressing the importance of the cross border element to future infrastructure investment, the Minister highlighted the £1billion invested in Northern Ireland’s infrastructure last year – an increase in real terms of 43% on the amount spent just four years ago.



The Minister focused on two projects in detail.

 He said: “In Belfast we recently announced one of the most ambitious schools projects in the UK, which will see the modernisation of Belfast’s entire education estate over the next 7-10 years.



“The second project I would like to single out is the new acute hospital in Enniskillen which is now well underway. The £230million hospital is the largest single PPP transaction in the history of Northern Ireland and the first of its kind on the island of Ireland.”



Mr Hanson said he was particularly pleased to see that a central theme for the conference was ‘sustainability’.



“Sustainable Development principles must guide capital investment decisions, and considering the

sustainability outcomes of projects must be as important as thinking through their economic

effects. Such thinking must be locked into all infrastructure projects through their entire life cycle.”



The Minister concluded: “These are exciting times for all involved with the delivery of public

infrastructure. I look forward to hearing the outcome of today’s conference and of the actions that

will be taken as a result.”