Implications of the Government’s ‘Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan’
Monday, 22 June 2026
Fast-Track Ireland: The Publication of the Government’s ‘Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan’ and What It Means for the Future of Infrastructure Delivery in Ireland
Introduction
The Government released the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan on 3 December 2025, a blueprint to speed up the delivery of major projects under Ireland’s €275 billion National Development Plan (NDP). Persistent delays, such as those affecting the Greater Dublin Drainage project and Metrolink, highlight the need for change. Developed by an Infrastructure Taskforce under the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, the Plan identifies 12 major barriers to delivery and sets out 30 actionable measures across four reform pillars, most due for implementation in early 2026.
The Pillars of Action Legal Reform
The first pillar focuses on legal and legislative changes to reduce procedural delays. Key actions include:
- Judicial Review Reform: The commencement of relevant provisions under the Planning and Development Act 2024 will begin, introducing cost regulations and procedural updates. Broader judicial review reform is to follow under the forthcoming Civil Reform Bill, which may streamline legal grounds, introduce pre-screening of cases, and allow damages in place of project suspension.
- Critical Infrastructure Bill: New legislation will empower key State bodies to prioritise strategic projects through faster planning and consenting processes, with emergency powers available for urgent cases.
- Other Legislative Updates: Measures include extending new planning processes to transport projects, centralising compulsory purchase order (CPO) approvals within An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP), and reviewing costs protections to align with the Aarhus Convention while considering international practice.
- Reducing Regulatory Burden: The Government will review environmental thresholds for mandatory assessments, focusing on areas where domestic standards exceed EU requirements.
- Rapid Response Mechanisms: A dedicated process will track emerging case law and enable prompt adjustments where needed.
Critical Infrastructure Bill
As anticipated, the Plan outlines at Action 2 the Government’s intention to enact legislation aimed at expediting the delivery of critical infrastructure and providing for emergency powers. The proposed Critical Infrastructure Bill will impose a statutory duty on State bodies to prioritise and accelerate key projects throughout planning, licensing, and other consenting processes. These ‘key projects’ will be identified in a designated critical infrastructure projects list. Furthermore, new emergency provisions will enable the Government to fast-track specific projects in urgent situations.
Civil Reform Bill
The final measure under this Pillar, Action 7, is the proposed Civil Reform Bill, which will legislate for judicial review procedures. Potential measures may include limiting judicial reviews to final planning decisions—rather than allowing separate reviews of each licence, consent, or condition—introducing a preliminary assessment of the likelihood of success before proceedings can advance, or enabling the substitution of damages for project delays, so that identified defects can be remedied retrospectively without halting project delivery.
Regulatory Simplification
This pillar aims to streamline decision-making and reduce complexity:
- Publication of a National Planning Statement for Critical Infrastructure will provide a unified framework guiding planning decisions.
- A new Regulatory Simplification Unit will address overlapping or unnecessary regulatory requirements.
- Legislative updates will remove identified bottlenecks, and reforms will facilitate faster utility connections for electricity and water.
- The Office of the Planning Regulator will undergo review to ensure alignment with national investment priorities.
Delivery and Coordination Reform
Practical delivery improvements are central to this Pillar. Planned actions include introducing risk appetite statements to support confident decision-making, simplifying approvals through amendments to the Infrastructure Guidelines and updating procurement rules in line with evolving EU regulations.
Public Acceptance
Recognising that infrastructure success depends on societal support, the Plan seeks to strengthen engagement and demonstrate tangible public benefits. Actions include faster identification and use of State-owned land for strategic projects and development of a national framework to track the social and economic benefits of completed infrastructure.
Next Steps
The Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan sets a clear roadmap for modernising Ireland’s infrastructure delivery. Through coordinated legal, regulatory and operational reform, the initiative aims to enhance efficiency, attract investment and deliver the infrastructure required to sustain growth across the coming decade. The majority of the actions are set be implemented during Q1–Q2 2026 to expedite housing, energy, transport and water infrastructure.
This is an exciting and potentially watershed moment for the delivery of infrastructure in Ireland. As with all Action Plans the real test will be in the success of its implementation. Based on initial briefings provided by the Chairman of Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce (Sean O’Driscoll) since the Plan has been published the Taskforce is determined that its Actions will be implemented in the stated timeframes and with full Government support.
Q1 Update on Implementation of the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan
The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers TD, has announced that all Q1 commitments scheduled for delivery in 2026 under the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan have been successfully completed. This update marks an important milestone in the Government’s wider effort to address delays in the delivery of critical infrastructure projects across Ireland.
Launched in December 2025, the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan sets out 30 actions aimed at improving the planning, approval, and delivery processes for national infrastructure projects.
According to the Government’s latest progress report, several significant reforms were implemented during the first quarter of 2026. These include:
Key Achievements Delivered in Q1 2026
- Progression of the Critical Infrastructure Bill through the Oireachtas.
- Signing of the Statutory Instrument on the Environmental Scale of Legal Fees.
- Additional support from the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) to strengthen project delivery, oversight, and coordination.
Early Impact
The impact of the plan is already visible:
- Up to 26 weeks have been saved on the Waterford Wastewater Treatment Plant project due to early reforms.
- Marine Area Consent timelines have been reduced by 30% for fit and proper applicants following reforms introduced by the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA).
These efficiencies are expected to shorten delivery timelines for the Greater Dublin Drainage project by up to 12 months, highlighting the benefits of coordinated efforts to streamline approvals and reduce administrative delays.
Reform of Public Construction Dispute Resolution
A key feature of the Q1 update is the implementation of new reforms to improve dispute management in public construction projects. These reforms will strengthen public works contracts through earlier engagement, enhanced oversight, and faster arbitration. Important measures in this reform include promoting early resolution through structured co‑operation, appointing Standing Conciliators to chair Project Boards on major projects, and retaining fast‑track arbitration while providing options for more complex cases.
Developed following an independent review, the reforms aim to reduce disputes and deliver greater certainty around cost and timelines. The reforms now apply to public works contracts for projects valued at over €1 million.
Conclusion
Overall, the Q1 2026 progress update shows that the Government’s infrastructure reform agenda has moved beyond policy development and into active implementation. The Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan is already delivering tangible improvements, with a strong emphasis on maintaining momentum and ensuring faster, more efficient delivery of critical infrastructure nationwide.
Early results indicate that the reforms are beginning to generate measurable benefits. Government coordination has also improved through new structures such as the Joint Utilities and Transport Clearing House, which is actively addressing bottlenecks and simplifying cross‑agency process.
Link to the Report and Action Plan
Further Information
For further information, please contact Fergal Ruane, Head of Projects and Infrastructure at Byrne Wallace Shields LLP.
This article was authored by Fergal Ruane and Ciara Goonan, Byrne Wallace Shields LLP.
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