The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers TD, has received Government approval for the General Scheme of the Critical Infrastructure Bill.

The proposed legislation is designed to significantly reduce delays in the delivery of vital national projects by mandating prioritisation and coordination across all State bodies.

Under the terms of the Bill, the Government will be empowered—subject to Dáil approval—to designate specific infrastructure programmes or projects as "critical". Once a project receives this designation, every State body involved in the approval process will be legally required to prioritise its assessment. Furthermore, the Act will mandate that these bodies cooperate and coordinate their efforts to ensure a streamlined pathway through existing regulatory systems.

-- Advertisement --

The legislation essentially creates a "top of the queue" fast-track channel. While it does not bypass existing processes, it ensures that designated projects are moved to the front for assessment by decision-making bodies, with the goal of drastically improving delivery timelines.

Minister Chambers confirmed that the Department will now work with the Office of the Attorney General to draft the legislation, aiming for its introduction to the Oireachtas as soon as possible. Parallel to this, the Department is continuing to evaluate the potential use of emergency powers to further accelerate specific projects, as outlined in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan.

Minister Chambers said: "The creation of a Critical Infrastructure Bill is a key measure in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan. It will address the unacceptable delays in our approval processes by mandating whole-of-State cooperation and creating a fast-track pathway for critical projects and programmes. More fundamental reform is necessary and this work is in progress through my Department's regulatory simplification unit. While this unit does its work to reform the regulatory system, this Bill will accelerate the most critical projects through the existing system. By establishing a clear legal basis for a limited number of Government priorities, the Bill will reduce ambiguity and ensure that critical projects and programmes go to the top of the queue for assessment by decision making bodies and receive fast and coordinated attention right across the system."