Government Looks To Fast-Track Infrastructure To Boost Housing

The Irish government is considering emergency legislation that would classify certain infrastructure projects as being of “national importance,” enabling them to be fast-tracked through planning and development.

The Irish Times reported that the move follows growing concern within the coalition about the state’s infrastructure shortfall, with ministers highlighting persistent challenges in water supply, energy and other essential services, which have held back housing development.

Under proposals being drawn up, projects deemed critical to the national interest could be exempted from some approval processes. Regulators would be required to prioritise such schemes, potentially allowing key steps to be accelerated or bypassed altogether.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris have been working on the plans with Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe following proposals from the infrastructure acceleration task force.

The coalition has also been examining possible reforms to judicial review procedures, including curbs on the state’s liability for legal costs in environmental planning cases. Ministers are considering a package of primary legislation, potentially including critical infrastructure and emergency powers bills, to support the reforms.

One option would be to limit the courts’ ability to grant judicial reviews where doing so is judged contrary to the public interest, and the cabinet subcommittee on infrastructure is expected to examine the proposals in November.

The desire to move major infrastructure projects forward comes after the Bank of Ireland revised upward its forecast for growth for the economy, predicting the domestic economy will expand by 3.4% this year and 2.6% in 2026.

The Bank of Ireland forecast that 34,500 homes will be built this year, unchanged after the Central Statistics Office published data showing a 4% boost in residential construction in the third quarter.

The bank's chief economist, Conal MacCoille, said 33,000 homes had been built in the 12 months to the end of September, the highest completion figure since the Celtic Tiger period.

Tickets for Bisnow’s Ireland Residential Investment and Development Conference on 27 November at Aviva Stadium are available here.