Government launches major review to cut infrastructure approval delays
New Regulatory Simplification Unit to target bottlenecks in energy, water and transport projects
25 February 2026 | editor@breakingground.news
A major review of Ireland’s regulatory framework for infrastructure delivery is to commence, with the establishment of a new Infrastructure Regulatory Simplification Unit within the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
The move forms part of Action 9 of the Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan and is aimed at addressing overlapping and complex consenting, permitting and licensing systems that are contributing to project delays.
Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers TD, confirmed the new Unit will carry out a risk-based review of the current regulatory landscape. This will include mapping existing processes and holding workshops with bodies involved in project consenting and licensing to identify and remove bottlenecks.
The Unit will also examine opportunities to improve coordination and streamline processes to support delivery of the National Development Plan, with a particular focus on infrastructure critical to housing supply, including energy, transport and water.
According to the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, which is chaired by the Minister, pre-planning stages for major projects are taking excessive time. National road projects can face pre-planning timelines of more than one year, while electricity network and water or wastewater developments can take between three and four years before progressing.
The Department said that while individual regulatory frameworks have merit, their cumulative complexity is slowing infrastructure delivery. The review is intended to simplify these systems while maintaining necessary safeguards.
In the coming weeks, a circular will issue to all Government Departments and regulatory bodies setting out Principles for Better Regulation. These principles will include necessity, effectiveness, proportionality, transparency, accountability and consistency, and are intended to guide the design, implementation and review of regulation.
The new Unit will work with Government Departments, regulatory authorities and State utilities to identify reforms capable of accelerating delivery across critical sectors.
The initiative follows publication of the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan and aligns with the National Development Plan Review 2025, both of which identified regulatory complexity as a key barrier to timely project delivery.
For the construction and infrastructure sector, the review signals a potential shift in how major projects move through pre-development and approval stages, with the stated aim of reducing delays and supporting faster delivery of nationally significant infrastructure.
