Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I agree the proposals need to be practical, quick and make an impact on the wider delivery of economic and social infrastructure. The guidelines the Deputy referred to, which have multiple gateways, need to be reformed and changed. There is too much circular analysis, which in many instances does not add value and adds time. That is why there is going to be change. Some of the reforms we will be introducing will be practical steps that will reduce the time and help deliver infrastructure better.

The Deputy is correct that when developing a site, there should be better intensification and use of it, particularly if it is a hospital site that has only a limited amount of land available and potential future needs. We will be able to detail actions that will make a genuine difference and practical steps we can control within internal systems in government and the State, and then ensure we promote reform. Reform is as important as the allocations around expenditure policy. The obsession in this House is often who gets what and how much. Reform is the most important aspect of resolving issues with infrastructure delivery and rebalancing excessive regulation that is not adding value and is holding back growth. That is what I intend to do.

See this speech in context