The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) has this morning set out plans for major infrastructure projects with a combined value of close to €1 billion.

The NDFA, which is part of the National Treasury Management Agency said there was huge interest among international investors for the projects, which includes student accommodation, social housing units, college buildings, courthouses and community nursing units.

Agency director Brian Murphy said procurement process for the projects will begin next year.

The Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects include a €300 million programme to deliver 1,500 social housing units in three bundles and a €200 million initiative to upgrade third level institutions. Other projects include €150 million apiece for infrastructure programmes covering courthouses and community nursing units.

The agency, which has procured or advised on projects with a combined value of €1.8 billion over the past 18 months, is also to provide financial advice on a €150m programme to provide accommodation for 2,300 students at the Grangegorman campus for Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT).

"Ireland is now firmly back on the radar of major international investors and their huge appetite for Irish infrastructure projects augurs well for our pipeline. This is good news for Irish taxpayers as it will make it easier to deliver projects that will bring real benefits to Ireland and to fund these projects on very attractive terms," said Mr Murphy, who was speaking at the Financing Irish Infrastructure conference in Dublin.

“These projects will help to address the serious infrastructure deficit which the country faces in these sectors,” he added.