Waiving pre-legislative scrutiny of the proposed Critical Infrastructure Bill represents another significant move to help the Government deliver vital projects, according to Fine Gael TD Joe Neville.

The party's spokesperson on Infrastructure and Delivery said: "Delivering on infrastructure projects is one of the most important tasks facing the Government.

"As a country we need to ensure that our delivery on infrastructure keeps up with the pace of population growth.

"Once approved, this Bill will allow for the specific projects or critical infrastructure, which are deemed to be in the country’s interests to be fast-tracked and prioritised.

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"The Oireachtas Infrastructure Committee’s successful vote last week enabled the motion to be presented to Cabinet today for approval.

"Requiring relevant statutory bodies to prioritise important projects will ensure delays will be reduced massively."

He said it would be inappropriate to pre-empt which schemes might use the new process, but pointed to likely candidates. "While we can't pre-empt exactly what projects will be used under this Bill, we must consider major projects such as the Metrolink and the Greater Dublin Drainage project."

Neville urged cross-party support for getting infrastructure built and asked opposition parties to reassess positions that could hinder progress and development.

"To deliver key infrastructure all stakeholders must come together. If we want to be able to deliver critical projects, we need to prioritise this legislation," concluded Deputy Neville.