Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I launched the new accelerating infrastructure task force on Friday 16 May. At the task force's first meeting, the terms of reference were agreed and there was a discussion of the work plan of the Department's newly established infrastructure division over the coming months.

Primarily, the role of the task force is to provide its members' expertise and guidance to assist my Department's work programme of identifying and addressing barriers to the delivery of infrastructure in order to accelerate the development of critical infrastructure.  This work programme focuses on the energy, transport and water sectors. This focus has been adopted because all three of these elements are required to underpin the development of all economic and social infrastructure, whether in healthcare, housing or childcare, and to support our economy's competitiveness.

As noted, the terms of reference for the task force have been established and agreed with the members. These specifically set out that the role of the task force is to: provide strategic guidance and expert input to policy proposals to speed up infrastructure delivery; provide guidance and advice to officials to ensure that barriers to infrastructure delivery are identified accurately and represent the most significant barriers that are impeding timely and effective delivery; provide guidance and advice on the development of a small number of high-impact reform actions that are robust, achievable and timebound that will be rigorously focused on addressing the challenges identified - these actions will be brought to Government for approval; and oversee the subsequent implementation of these reform actions, supported by the Department’s infrastructure division and the Departments and agencies responsible for implementation.

There are 12 members of the task force. Six are independent experts experienced in infrastructure delivery and the other six are ex-officiomembers taken from commercial semi-State entities at the front line of infrastructure development and the local government sector. I will chair meetings of the task force. I anticipate that it will meet monthly.

The first task my Department is progressing, and, hence, the first task the task force will oversee, is a systematic assessment of the barriers impeding the development of critical infrastructure. This task will be undertaken through a combination of research work, direct stakeholder engagement and a process of public engagement which will be launched shortly. I expect to bring a report on these barriers to Government in July, incorporating feedback from the task force. Thereafter, the focus will be on identifying actions that can overcome these barriers, seeking Government approval of these actions and ensuring they are implemented.

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