30 time-bound actions target delays in housing, roads, water and energy projects
The Irish government will this morning publish the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan, a landmark policy document aimed at significantly speeding up delivery of major national projects in housing, roads, water and energy sectors.
The plan, developed by the Accelerating Infrastructure Task Force chaired by Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers, includes 30 specific, time-bound actions designed to overcome delays that have hampered critical infrastructure development.
The report focuses on comprehensive changes to the legal and regulatory framework governing project delivery. New legislation will provide emergency powers to fast-track major capital projects of national interest and remove regulatory bottlenecks that have stalled development.
The government is prioritizing reforms to the judicial review process, which has delayed major projects including the Greater Dublin Drainage Scheme and MetroLink. Key reforms include reducing legal ‘standing’ to limit the number of people who can bring judicial review cases, giving priority to parties directly affected by projects. Courts will be required to conduct preliminary assessments of a case’s likelihood of success before granting permission for judicial review, while fee structures including “no foal, no fee” arrangements will be reconsidered to address the financial implications of legal challenges.
A new legal duty will be placed on government bodies, departments and local authorities to cooperate in providing land for essential infrastructure including water, energy and transport projects. Failure to comply will result in sanctions and impact future funding allocations.
Minister Chambers spoke of the “massive frustration” caused by infrastructure bottlenecks and criticized the “weaponization” of judicial reviews. He stressed that rebalancing the process is essential for the common good and protecting Ireland’s economic competitiveness.
On a separate issue, a recent Red C survey conducted for Sage Advocacy found that 90 percent of respondents believe the government’s housing strategy should include support for older people to remain in their own homes, highlighting the need for age-appropriate housing policies alongside infrastructure acceleration.
The plan represents the government’s most ambitious attempt yet to address chronic delays in delivering critical infrastructure, though it is likely to face opposition from environmental groups and legal experts concerned about limiting public participation in planning decisions.