Cathal Byrne (Fine Gael)

I echo the previous speakers in congratulating the Cathaoirleach. He comes with an enormous amount of experience which is to the benefit of all of us in this room, particularly because this is a new committee. I have similar views to my colleagues who spoke previously in assessing what this committee should be looking at for the next five years. While we all have individual constituency projects we want to see progressed and developed, the big thing for me is to try to get a better understanding of the key critical infrastructure projects which the country needs in order to develop and how we can take them outside of the traditional mechanisms for project delivery in order to speed them up.

I am interested in observing what is happening in the UK at the moment where a decision has been taken to designate certain things as crucial infrastructure for the country. Legislation will be advanced to designate them accordingly and thus reduce the planning permission timelines, the public consultation and some of the other barriers. Perhaps there is an opportunity, as part of this committee’s work, to look at what is happening in other countries on those key infrastructure projects which we can all agree are essential for the country. That is something I would like this committee to get its teeth into. I look forward to working with everyone.