Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2026
37. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the timeframe for legislation to accelerate critical infrastructure and provide for emergency powers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10692/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs set out in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, the Government has committed to the development of a Critical Infrastructure Bill. This purpose of this Bill is to create a legal obligation for State bodies to recognise and accelerate key projects through planning, licensing, and other consenting stages.
In addition, the Bill will explore options during drafting for further reforms that might assist with the acceleration of critical infrastructure. This legislation will be accompanied by governance arrangements to maintain and communicate a critical infrastructure projects list and track delivery outcomes.
As noted in the Action Plan, I intend to draft and publish this legislation in Quarter 1 this year.
In parallel with the development of this legislation, options on emergency provisions that will allow the Government to speed up specific critical infrastructure in emergencies will also be examined and considered. There is precedent for these at both national and EU levels. For example, the Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Act 2022 provided for expedited procedures.
