Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 April 2026
72. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to report on delivery today on the actions contained in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26710/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation I am responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly expenditure at Departmental level.
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 for strategic infrastructure. This includes the key energy, water and transport networks on which all future development relies. This is critical to allow Government to meet the additional 300,000 homes target and to support competitiveness. These sectors, electricity, water and transport, were further defined as critical infrastructure in the Accelerating Infrastructure Actions Report and Action Plan published last December.
The Plan sets out 30 targeted actions grouped under four pillars, each addressing a key area of reform, with legal reform noted as a core element for accelerating critical infrastructure projects across the country. This work will, among other measures, include increasing exemption thresholds for critical infrastructure, 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.
The delivery of these 30 actions under the four pillars is on track at the end of Q1 2026.
Key achievements in the quarter include significant legislative and regulatory milestones, most notably Government approval of the Critical Infrastructure Bill, publication of draft heads of the Civil Reform Bill, and drafting of the statutory instrument on environmental legal costs. Core regulatory foundations have been put in place through the establishment of the Infrastructure Regulatory Simplification Unit, the issuance of cross Government circulars on better regulation and reaction to precedent and strengthened engagement with regulators and EU institutions to support legislative simplification.
In Q2 2026, the focus will be on advancing priority legislation, progressing planning, regulatory and EU related reforms, strengthening oversight of delivery risks and bottlenecks, embedding procurement and productivity initiatives, and further improving coordination on utilities, land availability and public engagement to support timely delivery of critical infrastructure.
