The Irish government has approved a series of actions aimed at accelerating the delivery of strategic infrastructure to support housing development and enhance national competitiveness, Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Jack Chambers TD, announced yesterday (16th April 2025).

Minister Chambers informed the government of key initiatives he will lead in the coming months to expedite infrastructure delivery. These include the ongoing review of the National Development Plan (NDP), for which his department has issued guidance to all government departments emphasising increased investment in growth-enhancing infrastructure such as energy grid capacity, water supply, transport connectivity, and health digitalisation, in line with the Programme for Government's priorities.

A new Infrastructure Division is to be established within the Minister's department. This division will include seconded experts from key delivery agencies, including ESB Networks, Eirgrid, Uisce Éireann, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland. These secondees will bring their practical experience to develop effective policies aimed at improving infrastructure delivery timelines.

The department will also prepare an evidence-based assessment of the obstacles hindering the timely progression of infrastructure projects. This assessment will inform an Action Plan of high-impact reform measures for government consideration and implementation.

Furthermore, a new Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce will be established, chaired by Minister Chambers, and will meet monthly to monitor the implementation of the Action Plan's measures. The taskforce will comprise a small number of senior leaders with direct experience in infrastructure development, alongside the CEOs of key semi-state bodies integral to infrastructure delivery.

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The role of the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) will also be expanded to provide government departments with additional expert assistance and support on major public capital investment projects through dedicated support teams for specific projects referred to it.

Announcing the expansion of his department's responsibilities, Minister Chambers said: "Today I am outlining a meaningful agenda for infrastructure reform, in which my Department will second experts from key State agencies to systematically assess and quantify the steps in delivering critical State infrastructure. This work is vital in developing an action plan that will target high impact reform measures to speed up the building of the State's infrastructure."

He added, "The implementation of the action plan will be overseen by a new Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce that will bring together private sector leaders and the CEOs of key State utilities, all of whom are focused on delivering infrastructure to meet the Government's housing and competitiveness objectives."

Minister Chambers also highlighted the expanded role of the NDFA, stating: "In addition, the National Development Finance Agency will expand its support for major projects by offering project management, planning, financial expertise support to Government Departments. Making this strategic support available at early stages in the project development lifecycle will accelerate project delivery, while ensuring that best practice in each of these areas are mainstreamed. This will allow for greater standardisation, driving down the cost of public infrastructure."

He concluded: "The programme of work for my Department is ambitious but achievable, as this Government wants to ensure our economy is capable of sustainable prosperity. Investment in key strategic infrastructure is vital to improve our competitiveness, and particularly so when we face such global uncertainty. The Government is determined to do everything in our control to support our economy and our people."

Minister of State for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment, Emer Higgins TD, commented: "Infrastructure delivery is a key priority for this government. This country needs to get much better at delivering infrastructure projects and delivering them in a timely and efficient way particularly at this time of economic turbulence and uncertainty."

She added, "While Ireland performs well on a number of metrics, it's clear we are behind when it comes to infrastructure. So we have to break down silos, we have to get agencies to work together, and we have to look at some the blockages that can often exist. We have ambitious capital plans for health and education and getting these delivered in a timely way is key to our societal and economic well-being."

Minister Higgins concluded: "Today, we are outlining a number of measures to speed up projects and reform how infrastructure is delivered in Ireland. We're asking Departments to put a major focus on competitiveness as part of the NDP review and this new Infrastructure Division in the Department of Public Expenditure will be key to delivering on this. These new structures will deliver a step change in terms of how we deliver major capital projects."