Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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10. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update on implementation of the report of the accelerating infrastructure task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40723/26]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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53. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update on the accelerating infrastructure task force report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40806/26]

Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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55. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the implementation of the accelerating infrastructure plan. [40277/26]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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61. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the work the Government has undertaken to improve the speed of delivery of vitally needed infrastructure projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40746/26]

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Can the Minister report on the implementation of the accelerating infrastructure plan?

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Question Nos. 10, 53, 55 and 61 together.

As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitisation, I am responsible for setting the overall expenditure allocations and monitoring it at Departmental level. In the programme for Government, there is a clear prioritisation of the NDP review to ensure that investment for strategic infrastructure can be maximised in the coming five years. This includes the key areas of energy, water and transport on which all future development relies.

These sectors were further defined as critical infrastructure in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan published last December. This report sets out 30 targeted actions grouped under four areas, with each addressing a key area of reform, and legal reform noted as a core element for accelerating infrastructure across the country. Among other measures, this work will include increasing exemption thresholds for critical infrastructure and reform processes with agencies and regulators, advocating for a new approach to legislation at EU level and creating a duty for State bodies to co-operate in making land available and accessible for critical infrastructure. At the end of quarter 1, strong progress was recorded across the 30 actions in the report, with many legislative, regulatory and process changes delivered. All commitments for target delivery by end of quarter one have been completed, and all remaining commitments for quarter 2 and beyond are currently on track.

With regard to legislative reform, the Critical Infrastructure Bill has been approved by the Government. The Bill is before the Seanad. It passed Second Stage there on 20 May. It was passed by the Dáil in recent weeks.

In the context of regulatory reform, certain revisions of existing licences through the Environmental Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2026 have been signed into law. This will mean that small scale water discharges can now be registered by means of a short online administrative process rather than requiring a certificate of authorisation, which could have taken up to 150 weeks to process. These changes are giving quicker decisions to licence-holders and more certainty on timelines.

The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, MARA, has made progress with granting fit and proper designations to Uisce Éireann and local authorities. This move is estimated to have reduced the average time relating to the granting of new consents and licences by more than 30%. Changes that have been made to project delivery have seen an estimated average saving of 26 weeks on projects, such as the Waterford wastewater treatment plant, which is now at detailed design stage.

The Department continues to progress with planned actions for quarter 2 and beyond. We remain committed to the delivery of the plan. The Cabinet committee on infrastructure is updated regularly on progress, with the accelerating infrastructure task force, AIT, meeting monthly and continuing to support the delivery of the plan.

As regards our commitments across infrastructure delivery, we said we would prioritise an early review of the national development plan. This was completed and published in July 2025. We also said we would review and reform the prioritisation of capital projects in key agencies. This was completed through the publication of sectoral investment plans last year. We have established the Cabinet committee on infrastructure delivery and broadened the remit of the National Development Finance Agency, NDFA, to provide expert advice for major infrastructure.

As the Deputy will be aware, the infrastructure division of my Department has been stood up. The Department is working to drive multiple reforms across all of the areas to which I refer. We can have confidence that the cumulative impact of all 30 actions will make a significant difference in accelerating delivery across this year. To give an example, we have been informed by Uisce Éireann that we should have 12 months off the greater Dublin drainage project, a change made with confidence due to system changes and reforms we introduced. The timelines for marine area consents have also been reduced by 30% for fit and proper bodies. We want to simplify wider processes, which is why the Critical Infrastructure Bill is progressing at pace through the Houses. We also have the joint utilities and transport clearing house, which has started reducing co-ordination delays that are an issue across different areas of public administration.

We are working with the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to simplify certain key licences, and we have got several major projects that should advance much quicker in that context. That is a broad overview of some of the areas involved.

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the fact that all of the targets relating to the infrastructure plan are being hit. The Minister and his staff are to be complimented on ensuring that this has happened. I also welcome the Government's continued focus on accelerating the delivery of crucial infrastructure projects, particularly in view of the importance of housing, transport and utilities to economic growth and regional development.

One issue that is occasionally raised by communities, businesses and local authorities is the need for greater co-ordination and faster decision-making across the agencies and Departments involved in major projects. Delays in infrastructure delivery can have very real consequences for housing supply, inward investment and regional growth.

Can the Minister outline what practical improvements are being seen on the ground as a result of the implementation of the accelerated infrastructure plan? Can he indicated whether measurable timelines for delivery are beginning to improve as a result of the reforms and co-ordination measures introduced?

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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A practical example is the wastewater treatment plant in respect of which 26 weeks have been saved due to the removal of the external assurance process and reviews, as well as changes to the thresholds that I introduced in reforms to the infrastructure guidelines. The latter was an additional step that added time. Under the wider assessment carried out last year, we had to measure the time it had taken some of these processes against the cost of delay. That example of the wastewater treatment plant should be replicated across other projects Irish Water will be progressing through its project development lifecycle.

Similarly, the greater Dublin drainage project, is a multimillion megaproject being done by Irish Water. Due to some of the changes we have made, Irish Water has, with confidence, been able to bring the completion date forward by 12 months, which will give greater confidence in the context of construction and housing supply in the medium term. This is a critical project for the delivery of housing supply along the east coast. However, we also have multiple other areas across transport and energy. We have work ongoing by the joint utilities and transport clearing house, which has identified ten specific barriers or challenges to co-ordination across utilities or delivery bodies in Departments and agencies. These are being worked through by my Department in order to save time and improve co-ordination.

We are seeing improvements, but we have other changes we have to make. I have spoken about improved risk appetite in the public service, and I will be publishing risk appetite statements and bringing them to Government in the coming weeks. This will ensure that we increase the risk appetite to get things done and to deal with some of the risk aversion we have seen.

We have also made changes to environmental legal fees. The Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and I signed the regulation in that regard to cap fees, which was one of the legal reforms referenced.

The Minister for justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, is advancing the placement of judicial reviews on a statutory footing with the civil reform Bill. Obviously, once we enact the Critical Infrastructure Bill, we will be able to commence a process of designation which will help to fast-track several projects.

I know from our engagement with utilities in the context of energy, transport and water sectors, that there is much greater confidence in the construction sector because of what we progressed under the national development plan. Planned projects in regions, towns and villages now have the headroom and pipeline from a sectoral investment perspective, which will help bring confidence to this.

Tony McCormack (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for that. It all sounds great. I appreciate the 26 weeks and the 12 months that have been saved by Uisce Éireann. However, one of the biggest concerns I hear from councillors, other public representatives and communities is not simply the level of investment going into Uisce Éireann - and very significant State funding was put in by the Minister in the budget - but, rather, whether the organisation has the operational capacity and responsiveness necessary to manage that investment effectively and to communicate clearly with communities.

For instance, in my county of Offaly, Edenderry, Birr, Banagher and other areas are already at capacity in the context of wastewater. This is directly impacting future housing and development potential, yet there remains a lack of clarity around timelines and planned upgrades. Similar concerns are arising in other places , including Tullamore and Tyrells Road. The improvement of water infrastructure in Tullamore was supposed to start in the final quarter of this year or the first quarter of next year, but it has now been pushed out to 2028.

Does the Minister accept there is a need for stronger accountability, engagement and transparency from Uisce Éireann with elected representatives from local communities in order that people can clearly understand what infrastructure projects are planned, what stage they are at and when delivery can realistically be expected?

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I know the matter of Irish Water and its engagement with public representatives has been raised a number of times. Irish Water is on the infrastructure task force, and I will take the Deputy's comments away as a need to strengthen engagement. The challenge last year was a funding one. There had been consistent issues and concerns within both the construction sector, which works in partnership with Irish Water, and Irish Water itself about the level of funding and its capital plans. We responded to that with a €12 billion allocation. Some €2 billion of the €12 billion is even additional headroom for housing supply. We want to ensure that Irish Water builds and advances many of these projects. I do not have a specific breakdown with respect to its wastewater treatment plants or some of its water supply plans at a local level with me but I have heard a number of times the challenge the Deputy has referred to. It has been raised with the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste in other questions about the public engagement piece and the clarity of project delivery in certain towns and villages. I will engage directly with Irish Water on that because there should be clarity with respect to capital plans also across housing development. People need to know their ability to connect into a wastewater treatment plant and how that meets their objectives with respect to planning permissions they may want to commence. I will take that away. Now that we have responded to the question of funding, the question about reforming the delivery system to make it much quicker to deliver across many of the barriers and the areas which were identified in partnership with Irish Water, which has been very positive and constructive on the infrastructure task force, there is a need to ensure that communities and those in the construction sector have a sense of what is possible with particular projects. We will take that away and reflect the Deputy's feedback. I will come back to him directly on the matter.