Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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15. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an overview of the report on stakeholder engagement and emerging themes on infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60199/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Report on Stakeholder Engagement and Emerging Themes on Infrastructure was published in July. The purpose of this report was to identify the most significant barriers to the timely deliver of critical infrastructure. This, in turn, is informing the development a report and action plan on accelerating infrastructure delivery that will be brought to Government in the coming weeks.

The Report on Stakeholder Engagement and Emerging Themes on Infrastructure was prepared by my Department following extensive engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. In the development of the report, officials met directly with over 50 key stakeholders involved in the development of infrastructure in Ireland and received nearly 170 formal responses to a public consultation conducted in parallel. This was complemented by engagement events, including a session at the National Economic Dialogue and a regional event in Athlone on 18 June.

The report highlights that while Ireland is investing more in infrastructure than ever before, with capital investment now at record levels, the development cycle has lengthened considerably. Twelve key barriers were identified under three broad headings:

• The regulatory environment including complex and overlapping consent processes, risk aversion, and insufficient coordination between agencies;
• The planning and legal systems, particularly the growing number and impact of judicial reviews, which create uncertainty and delay; and
• Internal Systems, such as fragmented governance, procurement challenges, and capacity constraints in the construction sector.

Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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16. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update on the work of the accelerating infrastructure task Force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59966/25]

Edward Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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47. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to provide an update on the steps taken by the new infrastructure task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60204/25]

Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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50. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for an update on the work of the accelerating infrastructure task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60201/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 47 and 50 together.

In line with the Programme for Government, a new Infrastructure Division has been established within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Led by a Deputy Secretary General, the Infrastructure Division is tasked with accelerating the delivery of critical infrastructure across the State. It comprises a blend of experienced civil servants and sectoral experts with direct experience in infrastructure delivery, redeployed from key State agencies.

The work of the Infrastructure Division is supported by the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, which I chair. The Taskforce was established in May of this year. It is comprised of six independent experts with extensive infrastructure delivery experience, alongside six ex-officio members drawn from semi-State bodies at the forefront of infrastructure development, as well as those with experience of the local government sector.

The role of the Taskforce includes:

• Providing strategic guidance and expert input to policy proposals to speed up infrastructure delivery;
• Providing guidance and advice to officials to ensure that barriers to infrastructure delivery are identified accurately and represent the most impactful barriers impeding timely and effective delivery;
• Providing guidance and advice on the development of a small number of high impact reform actions that are robust, time-bound and achievable; &
• Assisting with the oversight of the subsequent implementation of these reform actions by the Department’s Infrastructure Division, through challenge meetings with the Departments and Agencies responsible for implementation.

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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17. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the means by which his Department is ensuring that regional balance in capital investment is maintained, particularly in constituencies like South Tipperary, given the need for continued investment in towns like Clonmel, Cashel, Tipperary, Carrick-on-Suir, Fethard and Cahir; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58897/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Investment in infrastructure and infrastructure delivery are key priorities for Government. As highlighted in the Programme for Government, delivery of essential infrastructure is a key driver in ensuring our economy’s competitiveness and resilience, and is also a means of fostering balanced regional development.

In the past five years, more than €65 billion has been invested in capital infrastructure projects across our country to improve people’s lives through the National Development Plan (NDP), with total capital investment in 2025 estimated at close to €17 billion by end-year. This represents the highest annual spend to date in this country and this level of investment is going to increase even further.

The revised National Development Plan, published in July, set out €275.4 billion in public capital investment to 2035 – the largest and most significant capital injection in our economy in the history of the State.

Arising from this, €19.1 billion in Exchequer capital investment will be provided in 2026. On Budget day, Ministers set out the capital projects and programmes that they will prioritise within their allocation in 2026.

This includes progression of projects in South Tipperary across sectors such as water, transport and justice, including:

• the Clonmel Water Supply Upgrade,
• the N24 Cahir to Limerick junction, and
• the commencement of construction of a new Garda Station in Clonmel.