Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has said significant progress is being made on Government reforms aimed at accelerating the delivery of critical infrastructure across Ireland.
The latest quarterly update on the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan shows that 95% of commitments due across Q4 2025, Q1 2026 and Q2 2026 had been completed by the end of Q2.
The Action Plan sets out 30 measures across four key pillars – legislative reform and utilities, regulatory reform, delivery and coordination, and public acceptance.
Minister Canney said: “There is a substantial programme of infrastructure investment ahead of us and we need to ensure projects can move through the system as efficiently as possible.
“This update shows significant progress, with 95% of the commitments due up to the end of the second quarter completed.”
Key developments include the enactment of the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 and the signing into law of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2026, with initial provisions commencing on 12 August.
Government has also approved the drafting of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Bill 2026, while provisions for an aligned planning process for transport projects were approved as part of the MetroLink Bill in June.
On regulatory reform, measures are progressing across the Environmental Protection Agency, the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities has also confirmed a €13.6 billion Uisce Éireann investment programme to 2029.
A key projects tracker covering 38 critical projects across water, transport, energy, health, housing and communications was submitted to the Cabinet Committee in July. Of these, 24 were marked green for advancement to the next stage of their lifecycle, compared with 18 out of 36 in May.
Progress is also being made on procurement reform, including new arrangements for Exchequer-funded projects designated as critical infrastructure, a Commercial Skills Academy programme and a Digital Suitability Assessment platform aimed at reducing the administrative burden associated with pre-qualification.
Minister Canney also pointed to the work of the Joint Utilities and Transport Clearing House (JUTCH), established to improve coordination between utilities, transport bodies, Government Departments and local authorities and address barriers to infrastructure delivery.
Its work programme is targeting 11 specific barriers to infrastructure delivery, ranging from the prioritisation of critical infrastructure applications and timelines for planning and consenting, to access to private land, coordination between utilities and local authorities, Road Opening Licences and the movement of Exceptional Abnormal Loads through the road network.
