Government launches new NDFA service to speed up delivery of major capital projects
Centralised expert support aims to cut up to 12 months from project development timelines
27 January 2026 | đŸ“§Â editor@breakingground.news
The Government has launched a new service designed to accelerate the delivery of major State capital projects, with the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) now providing direct, centralised support to Government Departments.
The service was jointly launched by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers TD, and the TĂ¡naiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris TD. With immediate effect, the NDFA will assist Departments at all stages of major project development, from early strategic assessment through to construction and delivery.
Under the new arrangements, the NDFA will provide expertise on value-for-money assessments, including Strategic Assessments and Preliminary Business Cases, procurement strategy selection, project governance structures, and execution planning. Support will also extend into the construction phase, including advice on managing project changes.
The first projects to benefit from the service will be the planned redevelopment of Dublin’s General Post Office and the National Concert Hall, both under the Office of Public Works. The GPO project is expected to retain a public post office, introduce public realm improvements, and incorporate cultural and retail uses within the existing footprint. Planning permission is already in place for the refurbishment of the National Concert Hall’s 21,000 square metre main building, with detailed design work underway as part of the National Cultural Institutions programme.
According to the Department of Public Expenditure, the move is intended to reduce duplication across Departments, limit the need for repeated procurement of external advisers, and drive greater consistency and standardisation in how major projects are developed. Based on feedback gathered during the preparation of the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, the measure is expected to reduce development timelines for large capital projects by up to 12 months.
Speaking at the launch, TĂ¡naiste Simon Harris said the service would help deliver infrastructure faster and at lower cost by enabling the NDFA to work directly with Departments on project development. Minister Jack Chambers said the initiative forms part of wider reforms to address delays in infrastructure delivery, including changes to legal, regulatory and administrative processes.
A Circular from the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation is due to issue shortly, setting out the conditions of support and how Departments can access the service. The initiative delivers on Action 24 of the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, which committed the Government to providing expert, centralised assistance for major infrastructure projects by the first quarter of 2026.
The NDFA service will cover areas including corporate governance, project programming, internal and external resourcing, business case preparation, procurement strategy and documentation, and construction phase support.
