Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
299. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment to outline how the Government’s new proposals regarding critical infrastructure will impact on infrastructural projects under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73783/25]
View answerOne of the primary roles of my Department is to support the realisation of Ireland’s long-term objective of creating a climate-neutral, sustainable, and economically prosperous Ireland, by collaboratively delivering policies and programmes to empower people, communities, and businesses to continue the transition to a better quality of life for current and future generations. The timely delivery of enabling infrastructure is central to achieving this objective. Investment in electricity networks, renewable energy generation, storage, interconnection and supporting systems is essential not only to meet Ireland’s climate targets, but also to underpin energy security, reduce exposure to volatile international fossil fuel markets, and deliver long-term cost benefits for consumers, both households and businesses.
The actions set out in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan recognise that infrastructure delivery is not an end in itself, but a critical enabler of wider economic, environmental and social outcomes. For my Department, this means ensuring that infrastructure planning, regulation and delivery frameworks are fit for purpose, proportionate and capable of responding to the pace of change required by the energy and climate transitions. It also means supporting our agencies to operate effectively and independently within their statutory roles, while fostering public acceptance, citizen engagement, coherence and coordination across the system as a whole.
