Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 December 2025
31. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to address persistent delays to the construction of major infrastructure projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70771/25]
View answerLast week, the Government published the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan. This is a comprehensive programme of actions designed to speed up the delivery of critical infrastructure across the State. This Action Plan responds to well-documented challenges of lengthy development timelines, fragmented processes, and rising costs. These have all been identified as major barriers to achieving Ireland’s housing, energy, and climate objectives.
The report is evidence-based. It has been built on the research and analysis of my Department, the views received during the public consultation and stakeholder engagement undertaken by my Department over the summer, and the expert input and advice from the members of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce.
The Plan sets out 30 targeted actions grouped under four pillars, each addressing a key area of reform:
The first pillar is Legal Reform. Reforms here aim to achieve a better balance towards the common good by addressing the incentives that drive a disproportionate reliance on the courts in planning and regulatory matters. While access to justice remains protected, the reforms will reduce incentives for excessive litigation, clarify rules on standing and remedies, and introduce fast-track pathways for nationally significant projects that are in the common good, through the development of new legislation.
The second pillar is Regulatory Reform and Simplification. This means identifying where regulation leads to excessive process rather than improved outcomes. It also means examining the structure of our regulatory environment, the practices applied by regulatory bodies, and how they communicate with one another and applicants. In practical terms, I think that there is scope for improved outcomes by applying parallel processes, mandating statutory timelines, and measuring the performance of our regulatory bodies
The third pillar is Coordination and Delivery Reform. This implements the reforms outlined in the Programme for Government. It means my Department assuming a more central coordination role on critical infrastructure, providing certainty to other Government Departments and utilities through multiyear funding commitments to underpin 5-year sectoral plans and reforms to the Infrastructure Guidelines. Across Government, it means driving and embedding a delivery-first culture, including, where appropriate, a balance between risk and delivery that incorporates the potential cost of delay.
The final pillar is Public Acceptance. Fundamentally, without improved public acceptance, critical infrastructure will be subject to delays, leaving broader society worse off. Government and utilities need to do a better job in promoting the social value of infrastructure to communities openly and transparently using tools like a benefits realisation framework that can demonstrate these societal benefits.
The majority of these actions are targeted for completion in Q1 and Q2 2026. By addressing systemic bottlenecks and creating a streamlined framework for planning, funding, and delivery, these actions accelerate the provision of critical infrastructure.
