Government backs greater risk-taking to accelerate housing and infrastructure delivery
New policy to encourage earlier land acquisition and greater tolerance of legal risk as delivery timelines for major projects have doubled over two decades
7 July 2026 | editor@breakingground.news
The Government is set to approve a significant shift in how major infrastructure projects are delivered, with public bodies to be encouraged to take a more proactive approach to risk in an effort to accelerate the delivery of housing, transport, water and energy infrastructure.
Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation Jack Chambers is due to bring a new Risk Appetite Statement for Critical Infrastructure to Cabinet, setting out a framework that supports more proportionate risk-taking by government departments, agencies and regulators responsible for delivering nationally important projects.
The move follows findings from the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, chaired by Mr Chambers, which concluded that delivery timelines for major transport and energy infrastructure projects have doubled over the past two decades.
Under the proposed reforms, public bodies will be encouraged to consider actions that have traditionally been viewed as carrying excessive risk where they can support faster project delivery. Examples include purchasing land before a project has secured final statutory approval and accepting a greater likelihood of legal challenge where robust governance and decision-making processes are in place.
The Government believes an increasingly risk-averse culture has developed across the public sector, driven by concerns over judicial reviews, planning and consenting complexity, reputational exposure and escalating project costs. Ministers now argue that excessive caution is itself creating significant risks by delaying critical infrastructure and increasing costs across the system.
The new policy recognises that some investments may ultimately not proceed or may fail to deliver every anticipated benefit. However, the Government’s position is that these outcomes may still represent better value overall if they contribute to faster delivery across the wider infrastructure programme.
Departments and agencies responsible for sectors including water, transport and energy will also be encouraged to prepare their own sector-specific Risk Appetite Statements aligned with the national framework.
The proposals build on the Government’s wider Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan (AIRAP), which has already introduced reforms including the enactment of the Critical Infrastructure Act and new guidance requiring public bodies to communicate the benefits of infrastructure projects more proactively.
Alongside the new risk framework, the Government is expected to strengthen its emphasis on early community engagement. Infrastructure promoters will be encouraged to explain the wider economic, environmental and social benefits of projects before statutory planning processes begin, using public meetings, local communications and other engagement measures to improve public understanding and reduce opposition.
Separately, Cabinet will receive the Office of Public Works Annual Report 2025, which highlights continued investment in flood protection infrastructure. The OPW currently has 11 flood relief schemes under construction, which are expected to protect approximately 2,900 properties when completed. To date, the agency has invested more than €588 million and completed 56 flood relief schemes nationwide.
Cabinet will also receive an update on the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan. Although the target of 750 annual apprenticeship registrations by 2025 was not achieved, the Government says apprenticeship opportunities have expanded significantly beyond traditional construction trades. Three new apprenticeship programmes in Business and Operations, Social Care and Paramedicine commenced during 2026, bringing the total number of apprenticeship programmes available nationally to 87, with a new national apprenticeship action plan expected shortly.
For Ireland’s construction and infrastructure sectors, the proposed risk appetite framework represents one of the clearest signals yet that Government intends to prioritise delivery over procedural caution, particularly for projects considered critical to addressing housing shortages and expanding national infrastructure capacity.
