Jack Chambers
Dublin West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“We have been clear about the absolute necessity to protect the huge ecosystem of digital and infrastructure investment in Ireland over the past ten to 20 years. Part of that has been the wider and ongoing discussion on the security of subsea cables.”
“Progress in achieving balanced regional development and detailing the delivery of the NDP is monitored through regular updates on the capital investment tracker and the MyProjectIreland interactive map viewer.”
“The tax strategy group examines the different options that are available to the Government during the summer. That informs the respective tax package that will advance. We have to honest about the measures we take in terms of taxation. They have to be sustainable and affordable in the long term. USC brings in about €5.5 billion per year.”
“I am not privy to the interaction the Deputy had with the Minister for housing on this, but the Local Government Fund distributes the respective funding across different local authorities, and Galway County Council and Galway City Council would receive allocations through that. I was clear in my initial response to Deputy O'Hara.”
“My Department has taken a proactive and co-ordinated approach to supporting the responsible and effective adoption of AI across the public service.”
“More broadly, the achievement of balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040, which includes the national planning framework, which sets out the wider spatial strategy for the next 20 years, along with the national development plan, NDP.”
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“I propose to take Questions Nos. 16 and 69 together. We agreed a medium-term fiscal and structural plan in December of last year that provides for significant uplifts and expenditure over the coming years with gross voted spending to reach €147.3 billion by 2030. The key element of the expenditure strategy underpinning the gross voted expenditure ceilings included in the plan was the prioritisation of capital with ceilings agreed as part of the NDP plan review and an additional increase in capital from 2028 onwards. Over €65 billion in capital investment has been delivered in the past five years out to 2025 and €19.1 billion was allocated for capital investment in budget 2026, which was an increase of €2.6 billion or nearly 16% over 2025. The capital ceiling will grow by a further €1.2 billion or 6.3% in 2027 to €20.3 billion.”
“The added capital allocation to Uisce Éireann should significantly improve the throughput and the scale of what is delivered but we will work with the Deputy constructively on that.”
“To be factual about it, we have not decided designation on any project in any area up to now. We are going to conclude the legislation, which passed this House and will pass in the Seanad in June. I am familiar with parts of the Deputy's county and indeed across the west of Ireland, the midlands and elsewhere, where people have been waiting on wastewater treatment plants for far too long. There is huge environmental damage in some of the rivers and the water systems which is connected to the delays that we are seeing where that infrastructure has not been built. We will work with Uisce Éireann around designation when we conclude the Bill but also on other barriers to delivery. The legislative path is one path that will improve speed but there are other areas where we have to drive reform.”
“First of all, we have not yet commenced the process of assessing what will or will not be designated, and when we designate a particular project, when it can be fast-tracked. For example, if something is at a very early stage, it does not necessarily benefit from particular designation. Second, we are prioritising water and wastewater systems because they are critical to housing delivery in villages and towns and for economic development across the country. This is an enabler for ensuring that we reduce the time taken to build these in various parts of the country. However, there has not been a decision on a project-specific basis and on a regional basis except to say that the area the Deputy is speaking about is one of the areas we will be seeking to prioritise in the context of the Bill. We have yet to conclude that assessment, however.”
“I recognise the importance of wastewater infrastructure but I also note that this Bill is just one of the vehicles being pushed to accelerate the delivery of infrastructure. In the report and action plan, 30 actions were identified to address the 12 barriers to infrastructure delivery and we are keen to advance all of them to ensure that we deliver the transformation and scale that is required.”
“However, I have also stressed the need for restraint in the designation process. If too many projects or programmes are afforded critical status, the impact of designation will consequently be limited. As I outlined in the Oireachtas, while the designation process has not commenced, when it does, my focus will be on recommending a small number of critical projects or programmes that will facilitate the acceleration of infrastructure across the energy, transport and water sectors, in particular, with a focus on infrastructure that will support housing. Section 1 of the Bill specifically identifies wastewater and waste management systems as being included within the definition of infrastructure. It is in that context that I will be assessing this when the Bill is enacted.”
“I thank Deputy Cooney. Allowing the Government to designate certain projects or programmes as critical infrastructure is the core of the Critical Infrastructure Bill. By establishing a clear legal basis for prioritisation, the legislation will reduce ambiguity and ensure that critical projects and programmes receive focused and co-ordinated attention across Departments, regulators and agencies. It will address the unacceptable delays in our infrastructure approval processes by mandating whole-of-State co-operation and creating a fast-track pathway for critical projects and programmes without skipping any steps in the approval process or weakening safeguards. I have consistently stated in the Oireachtas that the designation process will not commence until after the Bill's enactment.”
“Absolutely. As I said, it is something I have asked my own officials to strengthen in the context of particular procurement processes to see what the outputs and outturns are and the transparency connected right through that. Part of delivering across that objective will be set out in a new national procurement strategy on how we can strengthen transparency and trust but also then improve competition and the integrity of competition within the market, ultimately, to provide better value for money. These are critical priorities of mine. I am happy to continue to work with the Deputy in this area.”
“Likewise, suppliers need to trust the integrity of the procurement system if we are to drive participation and increased competition. In that line, I am concluding a new national procurement strategy, which I hope to bring to Government before the summer recess. There are different elements, with transparency-related procurement processes and data and organisation planning being consolidated into a broader pillar, again, to strengthen trust and transparency.”
“I thank the Deputy. I commend all his work and policy proposals in this area. I think we can all agree that enhancing transparency is absolutely a desirable objective. I am open to examining how additional information can be provided in a meaningful way to achieve that. In terms of wider moves towards standardisation, part of what my officials are now examining is what the various systems and operational capacities are in particular Departments and agencies to achieve that. More broadly and in line with the focus of transparency, I am conscious of the critical role public procurement plays, particularly in maintaining and building public trust in Government. Billions of euro are spent on public contracts every year and, as the Deputy said, the public need to be confident that their money is being spent in a judicious and fair manner.”
“Any proposed change of this nature would require further detailed consideration, including clarification of the specific information requirements, assessment of system capabilities and evaluation of associated costs and administrative impacts. My Department will continue to engage with stakeholders on opportunities to improve reporting in a manner that is practical, proportionate and sustainable and in line with the wider direction the Deputy has outlined.”
“Furthermore, my Department has recently written to Secretaries General of all Departments reiterating the statutory obligations of public bodies under the open data directive and the Freedom of Information Act 2014. In the context of continuing to enhance transparency, I am open to examining how additional information could be provided in a meaningful way. In respect of the Deputy’s proposal to include an additional column identifying the contract under which each payment is made, I acknowledge the potential benefits to transparency and expenditure reporting. However, I have been informed by officials the feasibility of implementing such a requirement across Departments and agencies is contingent on the configuration and capabilities of existing financial management systems.”
“I thank Deputy Dolan. I am committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in public expenditure, including in relation to the publication of purchase orders over €20,000. In this context, my Department has an effective process in place to produce the quarterly purchase order report in a timely manner. The publication of purchase order data over €20,000 stems from a commitment in the programme for Government and public service reform plan in 2011. Since then, my Department, in common with many other public bodies, has developed standardised reporting processes to enable timely and efficient publication of this information. In line with evolving best practice, my Department has enhanced the accessibility of these reports, including by making them machine readable, aligning with open data guidance and principles.”
“We are conscious of the dynamism of the global energy market and the need to respond with respect to particular sectors but it is important we implement the schemes being applied for presently, which may reflect more support here than in many other countries, and then take an informed position in July. We will know where the position is at that point.”
“As the Deputy knows, in the annual progress report that is published, we expect to run a general government surplus of about €9 billion this year. We are running a surplus, which makes the case for the importance of having fiscal buffers in a world which is so uncertain in the context of geopolitical conflict and when we have spending demands every day in this House across multiple areas. It is important that we review that in July and that we are careful in the context of further interventions. We know from the Covid pandemic and the cost-of-living period in 2022 that, notwithstanding the temporary nature of some of those schemes, they had permanent expenditure implications in certain areas, which then created trade-offs or constraints in future decisions that could be made. We will review that and take an informed decision in July.”
“Some of the schemes - for example, in the agriculture sector - have a five-month timeline as regards their wider implementation. We will assess that in July. We are not making any commitments until we can assess the position in July because some of the decisions run to that point.”
“Obviously, that was and is an important fiscal intervention to respond to the energy spike we have seen, particularly with respect to the transport and the agriculture sectors. We are following the wider guidance we see from the IMF and others, that is, that schemes should be temporary, targeted and time bound in order that they do not involve permanent expenditure implications. We have said consistently that in July, when some of the interventions are due to lapse, we will assess that in the context of the energy position globally and make an informed decision in that context. I brought to the Government the two Supplementary Estimates relating to transport and agriculture on Tuesday of this week. We are conscious of continuing to review the overall position.”
“It is the responsibility of the Accounting Officer in each Department to ensure that they manage their expenditure allocations sustainably and in accordance with the allocation approved by the Dáil. My Department recently issued Circular 21/2026, Expenditure Control and Escalation Process, to all Government Departments. It reinforces other recent measures to strengthen expenditure control, provides a clear framework for managing expenditure and sets out phases for escalation if spending overruns emerge. Where expenditure pressures persist, the circular sets out a framework for when and how my Department will engage with respect to other Government-----”
“My Department is in ongoing contact with all finance officers to monitor and review expenditure trends. While the overall expenditure position at the end of April is within profile, the end-of-April current expenditure year-on-year growth rate of 9.3% will need to moderate over the year. Ensuring that public money is spent efficiently, and that taxpayers see clear outputs and outcomes from public spending, is a core priority for my Department and for the Government. The Government agreed a medium-term fiscal and structural plan last December, which set out ceilings for the period to 2030. It provides for significant uplifts in expenditure, with gross voted spending to reach €147.3 billion in 2030. To ensure we progress across this structural plan, there is a need for strengthened expenditure control and renewed fiscal discipline.”
“The latest fiscal monitor, published on 6 May, showed that at the end of April gross voted expenditure amounted to €36 billion. This is a €2.9 billion, or 8.9%, increase compared with April 2025 and reflects the implementation of the priorities set out in budget 2026 and the significant uplift in expenditure to support programme for Government commitments. Compared with the profiles set out by Departments for their planned spending over the year, this was €600 million, or 1.8%, below profile. Looking at the composition of spending, current expenditure at the end of April was €32.3 billion, which was €250 million, or 0.8%, below profile. Capital expenditure was €3.8 billion, which was €400 million, or 9.5%, below profile. It is early in the year to say what spending levels seen to date might mean for the end-year position.”
“Now that we have responded to the question of funding, the question about reforming the delivery system to make it much quicker to deliver across many of the barriers and the areas which were identified in partnership with Irish Water, which has been very positive and constructive on the infrastructure task force, there is a need to ensure that communities and those in the construction sector have a sense of what is possible with particular projects. We will take that away and reflect the Deputy's feedback. I will come back to him directly on the matter.”
“I do not have a specific breakdown with respect to its wastewater treatment plants or some of its water supply plans at a local level with me but I have heard a number of times the challenge the Deputy has referred to. It has been raised with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste in other questions about the public engagement piece and the clarity of project delivery in certain towns and villages. I will engage directly with Irish Water on that because there should be clarity with respect to capital plans also across housing development. People need to know their ability to connect into a wastewater treatment plant and how that meets their objectives with respect to planning permissions they may want to commence. I will take that away.”
“I know the matter of Irish Water and its engagement with public representatives has been raised a number of times. Irish Water is on the infrastructure task force, and I will take the Deputy's comments away as a need to strengthen engagement. The challenge last year was a funding one. There had been consistent issues and concerns within both the construction sector, which works in partnership with Irish Water, and Irish Water itself about the level of funding and its capital plans. We responded to that with a €12 billion allocation. Some €2 billion of the €12 billion is even additional headroom for housing supply. We want to ensure that Irish Water builds and advances many of these projects.”
“I know from our engagement with utilities in the context of energy, transport and water sectors, that there is much greater confidence in the construction sector because of what we progressed under the national development plan. Planned projects in regions, towns and villages now have the headroom and pipeline from a sectoral investment perspective, which will help bring confidence to this.”
“I have spoken about improved risk appetite in the public service, and I will be publishing risk appetite statements and bringing them to Government in the coming weeks. This will ensure that we increase the risk appetite to get things done and to deal with some of the risk aversion we have seen. We have also made changes to environmental legal fees. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and I signed the regulation in that regard to cap fees, which was one of the legal reforms referenced. The Minister for justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, is advancing the placement of judicial reviews on a statutory footing with the civil reform Bill. Obviously, once we enact the Critical Infrastructure Bill, we will be able to commence a process of designation which will help to fast-track several projects.”
“Due to some of the changes we have made, Irish Water has, with confidence, been able to bring the completion date forward by 12 months, which will give greater confidence in the context of construction and housing supply in the medium term. This is a critical project for the delivery of housing supply along the east coast. However, we also have multiple other areas across transport and energy. We have work ongoing by the joint utilities and transport clearing house, which has identified ten specific barriers or challenges to co-ordination across utilities or delivery bodies in Departments and agencies. These are being worked through by my Department in order to save time and improve co-ordination. We are seeing improvements, but we have other changes we have to make.”
“A practical example is the wastewater treatment plant in respect of which 26 weeks have been saved due to the removal of the external assurance process and reviews, as well as changes to the thresholds that I introduced in reforms to the infrastructure guidelines. The latter was an additional step that added time. Under the wider assessment carried out last year, we had to measure the time it had taken some of these processes against the cost of delay. That example of the wastewater treatment plant should be replicated across other projects Irish Water will be progressing through its project development lifecycle. Similarly, the greater Dublin drainage project, is a multimillion megaproject being done by Irish Water.”
“To give an example, we have been informed by Uisce Éireann that we should have 12 months off the greater Dublin drainage project, a change made with confidence due to system changes and reforms we introduced. The timelines for marine area consents have also been reduced by 30% for fit and proper bodies. We want to simplify wider processes, which is why the Critical Infrastructure Bill is progressing at pace through the Houses. We also have the joint utilities and transport clearing house, which has started reducing co-ordination delays that are an issue across different areas of public administration. We are working with the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to simplify certain key licences, and we have got several major projects that should advance much quicker in that context. That is a broad overview of some of the areas involved.”
“We also said we would review and reform the prioritisation of capital projects in key agencies. This was completed through the publication of sectoral investment plans last year. We have established the Cabinet committee on infrastructure delivery and broadened the remit of the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, to provide expert advice for major infrastructure. As the Deputy will be aware, the infrastructure division of my Department has been stood up. The Department is working to drive multiple reforms across all of the areas to which I refer. We can have confidence that the cumulative impact of all 30 actions will make a significant difference in accelerating delivery across this year.”
“This move is estimated to have reduced the average time relating to the granting of new consents and licences by more than 30%. Changes that have been made to project delivery have seen an estimated average saving of 26 weeks on projects, such as the Waterford wastewater treatment plant, which is now at detailed design stage. The Department continues to progress with planned actions for quarter 2 and beyond. We remain committed to the delivery of the plan. The Cabinet committee on infrastructure is updated regularly on progress, with the accelerating infrastructure task force, AIT, meeting monthly and continuing to support the delivery of the plan. As regards our commitments across infrastructure delivery, we said we would prioritise an early review of the national development plan. This was completed and published in July 2025.”
“With regard to legislative reform, the Critical Infrastructure Bill has been approved by the Government. The Bill is before the Seanad. It passed Second Stage there on 20 May. It was passed by the Dáil in recent weeks. In the context of regulatory reform, certain revisions of existing licences through the Environmental Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2026 have been signed into law. This will mean that small scale water discharges can now be registered by means of a short online administrative process rather than requiring a certificate of authorisation, which could have taken up to 150 weeks to process. These changes are giving quicker decisions to licence-holders and more certainty on timelines. The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, has made progress with granting fit and proper designations to Uisce Éireann and local authorities.”
“This report sets out 30 targeted actions grouped under four areas, with each addressing a key area of reform, and legal reform noted as a core element for accelerating infrastructure across the country. Among other measures, this work will include increasing exemption thresholds for critical infrastructure and reform processes with agencies and regulators, advocating for a new approach to legislation at EU level and creating a duty for State bodies to co-operate in making land available and accessible for critical infrastructure. At the end of quarter 1, strong progress was recorded across the 30 actions in the report, with many legislative, regulatory and process changes delivered. All commitments for target delivery by end of quarter one have been completed, and all remaining commitments for quarter 2 and beyond are currently on track.”
“I propose to take Question Nos. 10, 53, 55 and 61 together. As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation, I am responsible for setting the overall expenditure allocations and monitoring it at Departmental level. In the programme for Government, there is a clear prioritisation of the NDP review to ensure that investment for strategic infrastructure can be maximised in the coming five years. This includes the key areas of energy, water and transport on which all future development relies. These sectors were further defined as critical infrastructure in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan published last December.”
“I share with the Deputy the objective of improved bed capacity for the west of Ireland and Galway and in the next number of years. I had a very good meeting with the development board on their next steps. I have not set out any designation at this point because the Bill has not yet been enacted. The process will follow when that happens.”
“It absolutely needs to progress quickly. Part of that is to do with ensuring that the HSE is efficient in how it turns around the design proposals. We must also look at how we get it into the planning process and turned around quickly. In what we set out in the infrastructure reforms, part of the improvement to accelerate infrastructure may involve designation for any project. The other elements are about ensuring that we have better performance across the lifecycle of a project from the point at which someone has a concept in order that we save more time before the planning application is made. We must also standardise the overall construction aspect of particular projects in order that they will be built quicker.”
“Planning permission is now in place and we need to ensure it is built. The Critical Infrastructure Bill is in the Seanad. We will stand up a process, following its enactment, on what projects are designated and when. Speaking generally, obviously if a project is in the early phase of design or development, it may not be ready for designation. We want to ensure that across the transport, water, and energy sectors and in certain instances, in health infrastructure, we designate and fast track projects. Part of that will be through the provisions of the Critical Infrastructure Bill and part of it through the wider reforms we are introducing to cut timelines. I share the Deputy's objectives for both of the projects he mentioned.”
“I thank the Deputy for the question. I met with some of the management team for the development board with our by-election candidate, Councillor Cillian Keane, Deputy John Connolly and Senator Ollie Crowe in recent weeks. I fully appreciate the need for improved bed capacity for the west of Ireland and for Galway. It is absolutely required, which is why the Government and the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, have significantly strengthened the capital allocation to the Department of Health to ensure we build much-improved bed capacity for areas like Galway and the west of Ireland. I want to work with the hospital to ensure the design phase, which it is currently in, is progressed quickly. The Government wants to see some of that progress to construction. Similarly with the ring road, we want to see that built.”
“For example, in transport we have the N17-N18 Gort to Tuam project comprising 54 km of motorway and 3 km of dual carriageway; the N59 Moycullen bypass; the Salmon Weir Bridge in Galway; and the Killaloe Bypass in Clare. Other projects include the upgrade and rehabilitation of the Roscommon sewer network; the development of the Oweninny wind farm; the development of enterprise centres in Boyle and Tulsk in Roscommon and in Belmullet and Swinford in Mayo; as well as heritage and tourism projects in Portumna in Galway and Aghleam in Mayo. There have also been numerous projects delivered in the housing, education, health, and rural development sectors. The programme for Government set out the clear prioritisation for the NDP review to ensure that investment can be maximised in the coming five years across strategic infrastructure.”
“They must account for the demands for services in different areas and regions, having regard to demographics and other relevant factors. Within this process, both current and capital expenditure are allocated on a departmental basis. Balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of the national planning framework, NPF, which sets out the overall spatial strategy for the next 20 years, along with the national development plan, NDP. Each Minister is responsible for deciding on the priority programmes and projects that will be delivered under his or her remit within the NDP and for setting out the timelines for delivery. Since Project Ireland 2040 was first launched in 2018, the Government has overseen the delivery of many impactful NDP projects across the West.”
“As Minister for public expenditure, I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level. As part of the budgetary process each year, my Department sets overall expenditure ceilings for each ministerial Vote group. These are laid out at Vote level in the budget day expenditure report published in October, with further detail provided in the Revised Estimates for public services published in December. Following the allocation of each ministerial expenditure ceiling, it is a matter for Ministers to assign funding as appropriate at programme and subhead level for their Departments and for the agencies and bodies under their remit.”
“I want to ensure we enact a Bill. The last time we actually had a Bill progressing was the 2015 Bill, which was not enacted. It was criticised for being overly complex and difficult to comprehend during debates in the Oireachtas. I want to ensure we have a system that is reformed and can work for those who are making submissions.”
“It is important to ensure we future proof the legislative provisions or a general scheme. Even in the past year or two there has been a change of context. If we look back at the experience with the 2015 public sector standards Bill, it did not progress and it lapsed. It is important to ensure that any legislation or scheme we introduce is progressed and enacted. There is no reopening of it, to be clear. What we are trying to do is ensure that we draft the scheme in the context of future proofing it. It should be simplified and strengthened in terms of a digital interface. That has to be underpinned through a legislative context. We are getting direct feedback from members who make the current submissions on how that will be strengthened. In the aftermath of that, my plan is to conclude the work on a general scheme and progress it.”
“My plan then would be to bring the general scheme to Government, having concluded that exercise, and then progress the legislation. It is not a reopening of the consultation process, to be clear. It is simply to ensure the legislative provisions reflect a streamlined and modernised system that actually makes it easier for people to use. We have a predominantly paper-based system today which can be improved when people are making submissions and returns.”
“The purpose of bringing a memorandum to Government was to update colleagues on the progress being made around the policy context here. What we are seeking to do, rather than just adding additional legislative provisions, which obviously will be advanced through a general scheme, is to ensure that we digitalise and simplify the process of making a return and that has to be future proofed around particular legislation. It will make it a much better and more transparent system. What we are seeking to do in the context of ensuring we have a positive and strengthened general scheme is to do a direct engagement with all parties and members through the Committees on Member' Interests on the current end user interface and reflect that in a general scheme. That will help the progression of the work.”
“The purpose of this exercise is to gain insight into the practicalities of how the ethics system works. This outreach is a limited, targeted exercise. It is not a re-opening of the broader consultation process, which is now complete. My officials are seeking to understand how the processes and procedures of making ethics returns could potentially be streamlined and modernised. I want to ensure that those procedures, under a reformed regime and new legislation, are efficient, user-friendly and future-proofed. Following this, I hope to conclude the process around the drafting of the general scheme, which will then progress in the context of the programme for Government commitment.”
“As the Deputy mentions, my Department has already prepared the ground through a comprehensive review of the legislative framework for ethics. Very broadly, this found that the legislative framework for ethics should be underpinned by a set of integrity principles; that disclosure requirements should be strengthened to improve transparency; that consideration should be given to whether the regime should encompass more officeholders; and that the Standards in Public Office Commission should be strengthened. A variety of significant operational and policy considerations flow from this review and its recommendations. I brought a memorandum to Government this week, and my officials will undertake further engagement with affected end-users of the system. This includes, at the outset, both Committees on Members’ Interests.”
“The programme for Government commits to updating the ethics in public office legislation. I assure the Deputy that this remains a priority. I have updated Government colleagues this week with a memorandum for information on the progress that is being made. However, as the Deputy is aware, this is a complex area and careful consideration is required across a range of issues before detailed proposals are progressed. I want to advance the programme for Government commitment, which represents an opportunity to make real and meaningful long-term change and reform to our current system. I am determined that this should happen in a way that is coherent from a policy perspective, but also streamlined from an operational perspective.”
“I know the policy and direction of the NSSO is to ensure that where anyone owes anything to the State where there has been an under-deduction, that is fully repaid. It is pursuing and engaging with all of the individuals with respect to that.”
“The total number of individuals was 82, which included current and former Ministers of State, officeholders and a small number of civil servants. Some 17% of that is what remains. We know that the cohort relating to current Ministers has been accounted for. I do not have the specifics. What I have been told is that the aggregate miscalculation was €359,000, and that 17%, or €62,000, remains. The vast majority of what was owed has been repaid or is in a recoupment plan. Of the 82 cases identified, 63 are now closed. The NSSO is repeatedly finalising this. Although I do not know, there may be individuals who are getting advice or getting it checked to see what is owed. I do not know the specific interactions that are ongoing because I am not familiar with the individuals, and it is confidential information for any individual.”
“I am not privy to the correspondence with specific individuals, except to say that the NSSO is progressing work to ensure that people enter specific plans.”