Ireland is investing record amounts in infrastructure, but major projects—roads, energy, water systems—are taking far too long to deliver. Delays of 7–10 years for even modest projects are now common. This slows down housing, raises costs, restricts energy supply, and damages Ireland’s competitiveness.
The Government’s report identifies 12 key reasons for these delays. They fall into three groups:
1. Regulatory & Community Barriers
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Too many layers of regulation
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Agencies working slowly and in sequence
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Rising levels of public objections
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A surge in legal challenges (judicial reviews)
2. Planning & Legal Issues
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Long, complicated environmental assessments
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Inconsistent planning decisions
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No fast-track system for nationally important projects
3. System & Capacity Problems
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Poor coordination between government bodies
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Weak procurement competition
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Construction sector capacity shortages
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Uncertain long-term funding plans
To fix this, the Government proposes reforms grouped under four pillars:
The Four-Pillar Plan
1. Legal Reform
Make court challenges faster and more predictable, and prevent small technical errors from blocking major national projects.
2. Regulatory Reform
Simplify approvals, set firm deadlines for regulators, and allow parallel (not sequential) assessments to shorten timelines.
3. Better Coordination & Delivery
Strengthen central oversight, improve procurement, increase construction sector capacity, and use digital tools (including AI) to streamline processes.
4. Increasing Public Acceptance
Communicate national benefits more clearly, create a benefits-tracking framework, and improve cooperation on land access.
Why It Matters
Without major reform, Ireland will struggle to build the infrastructure needed for:
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housing delivery
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renewable energy expansion
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climate targets
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transport upgrades
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future economic competitiveness
The report is blunt: funding isn’t the problem—delivery is. Ireland must overhaul its systems, laws, and processes or face continued delays, rising costs, and national bottlenecks.
There's a podcast on this report here.