The Government is set to announce today that nine major infrastructure projects will be fast-tracked under new legislation aimed at accelerating the delivery of critical national infrastructure.
Among the projects designated for priority treatment are Dublin's MetroLink, the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme and the Galway Ring Road.
The new legislation, introduced by Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers and enacted last month, requires public bodies involved in approving major infrastructure projects to expedite decision-making for schemes identified by the Government as critical.
The Critical Infrastructure Act applies to a range of statutory bodies, including An Coimisiún Pleanála, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority.
“Every public body involved in the approval process for designated critical infrastructure will be required to reduce timelines, progress processes in parallel and cooperate with each other,” the legislation states.
The measures are intended to streamline approval processes by encouraging agencies to work simultaneously rather than sequentially, with the aim of reducing delays in delivering key transport and infrastructure projects.
However, the legislation has attracted criticism from environmental groups because it disapplies climate legislation for projects designated as critical infrastructure.
“The legislation also disapplies the climate legislation to critical infrastructure projects,” a provision that has been criticised by environmental organisations, which argue it could weaken environmental safeguards in the planning process.
