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The Irish Government has published its updated National Development Plan (NDP), outlining €275.4 billion in planned public capital investment through to 2035.
The announced funding will also benefit Ireland's fisheries and aquaculture sectors, with specific funding directed at Fishery Harbour Centres and seafood development projects.
Launched on 22 July, the revised NDP is described by government leaders as the largest capital investment programme in Ireland's history.
According to the Department of the Taoiseach, the plan is intended to strengthen Ireland’s infrastructure, support housing and regional development, and meet environmental and climate targets. It includes €102.4 billion in departmental capital allocations for the period 2026 to 2030, with a further €100 billion planned for the following five years.
The Irish government announced that the updated plan includes an additional €34 billion relative to the previous 2021-2030 NDP, including equity funding of €10 billion to 2030 to fund large strategic projects in energy, water and transport.
In a separate statement, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed that funding secured under the revised NDP will support rural and coastal development, including key projects in the seafood and fisheries sector.
Minister of State for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley, said the investment would include support for the continued development of Howth harbour near Dublin and Ros an Mhíl harbour in County Galway, two of Ireland's six state-owned Fishery Harbour Centres.
“This funding will ensure the continued development of Howth Harbour and Ros an Mhíl as funds have already been expended on these projects. Howth Harbour is already facing operational difficulty with some vessels being diverted to Dun Laoghaire due to their inability to safely enter the harbour. Unless it is dredged, Howth Harbour will become inaccessible to fishing boats, the RNLI and other Harbour Users,” the Minister said.
According to the department, these investments are part of a wider effort to sustain the seafood industry and address infrastructure gaps in key harbour locations.
The announcement follows a recent visit by Minister Dooley to Howth Fishery Harbour Centre, where he met with seafood industry stakeholders. During the visit, he noted the economic importance of the harbour, stating that 2,500 tonnes of seafood worth €13 million were landed there in 2024, while the value of processing outputs from the harbour in 2023 reportedly reached €332 million.
The revised NDP also includes broader commitments to support Ireland’s agri-food and coastal economies. Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said that the funding secured for his department would contribute to competitiveness, innovation, climate action and international market diversification. He added that the plan also aligns with existing commitments under the EU's Food Vision 2030 and new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) regulations.
"The agri-food sector is an essential part of the economic and social fabric of Ireland. Our world class food and drink companies continue to bring high quality and distinctive produce to global markets. This sector will continue to deliver food security for Ireland and other countries. This is needed more than ever in the current economic climate of tariffs," Heydon stated.
The revised NDP also includes €3.68 billion in funding for enterprise, innovation and tourism under the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. The funding aims to expand access to finance for Irish businesses, strengthen start-up and innovation infrastructure, and support diversification into international markets, Irish authorities said.
The government has said that further details on sectoral investment plans, including specific projects to be delivered between 2026 and 2030, will be published later this year.
