Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026

Public bill · Government · Presented

Government would be able to label certain projects or programmes as “critical infrastructure” and put them on a faster approval track. Public bodies involved in those approvals would have to cooperate, cut delays, work in parallel where possible, and give these projects priority, while still keeping their existing legal duties and EU obligations. The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation could also direct those bodies on how to carry out their roles, and the Bill would adjust how climate-law rules apply to designated projects.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to provide for the designation, by order of the Government, of certain projects and programmes as critical infrastructure projects and critical infrastructure programmes; to provide for duties of certain public bodies in so far as they perform functions with respect to critical infrastructure projects or critical infrastructure programmes; to provide for a power for the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to give directions to certain public bodies with regard to the performance by those bodies of their functions in accordance with this Act; to modify the application of section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015; and to provide for related matters.