Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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227. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if his Department has reviewed the balance between environmental protection considerations and the timely delivery of essential infrastructure in the current planning and regulatory processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63589/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's role is to support the Government realising its long-term objective of creating a climate-neutral, sustainable and economically prosperous Ireland, and in this respect, it is crucial to support the delivery of infrastructure while maintaining strong protections for Ireland’s natural environment. For this reason, the Department has been centrally involved with ongoing work to reform project delivery in Ireland.

My Department works inter-Departmentally, which includes very close collaboration with colleagues in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, to deliver legislation, plans, policies and guidelines that implement the Programme for Government and critical EU and national policy such as the European Green Deal, the Renewable Energy Directive, Climate Action Plan, National Planning Framework (NPF) and National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF).

The required step change in the State’s ambition from a low carbon to climate neutral Ireland requires strong leadership across Government and the wider public sector as expressed in the Climate Action Plan 2025 (CAP 25). The accelerated delivery of infrastructure is critical to the success of the measures set out in the CAP 25. The associated reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions can only be achieved by ensuring that our electricity, wider energy and transport networks are fit-for purpose and can support the additional demands placed on them by the State’s continued economic growth. Furthermore, infrastructure under the policy remit of my Department is required to meet the State’s housing needs, with significant additional housing development requiring services to support new areas of growth.

A key consideration in my Department’s ongoing involvement in planning and regulatory reform is expediting the delivery of infrastructure that is critical to decarbonisation of Ireland’s economy and greater climate resilience. In that context, my Department supports a balanced approach to regulatory reform that provides proper environmental protection while directly assisting in streamlining and fast tracking project delivery.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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228. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of major infrastructure projects delayed due to environmental assessment processes, in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63590/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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My Department as currently constituted does not have responsibility for any major infrastructure projects.