25. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the progress that has been made under the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan in reducing delays to major public infrastructure projects, particularly in the areas of housing, water treatment and transport. [74922/26]

The Programme for Government established a clear priority for the National Development Plan Review: to maximise investment in the strategic infrastructure required to support Ireland’s future development. This includes the energy, water and transport networks that underpin housing delivery, economic growth and regional development. These sectors were subsequently identified as critical infrastructure in the Accelerating Infrastructure Actions Report and Action Plan.

The Plan sets out 30 targeted actions across four pillars of reform. Measures include increasing exemption thresholds for critical infrastructure projects, streamlining processes involving agencies and regulators, advocating for reforms at EU level, and establishing a duty on State bodies to cooperate in making land available for nationally significant projects.

Implementation continues to maintain strong momentum, with delivery on track across all 30 actions and major reforms progressing from policy development into implementation. As of the end of Q3 2026, two-thirds of the full Action Plan has been implemented, with 85% of commitments due by end-Q3 completed.

In the water sector, progress is already evident. The Greater Dublin Drainage Project has moved towards construction following accelerated approvals for planning, a Marine Area Consent and a Wastewater Discharge Licence, with construction expected to commence shortly. The Water Supply Project also received Regulation 54 derogations under the new critical infrastructure process, helping to avoid delays in the consenting process. Furthermore, reforms within the Environmental Protection Agency are expected to double wastewater discharge authorisation decisions from approximately 10 to 20 per year, with additional gains anticipated through process improvement measures.

In the transport sector, the revised Infrastructure Guidelines have removed the External Assurance Process, which previously added an average of 20 weeks to project timelines. The Department of Transport estimates that these reforms can deliver time savings of up to 11 months for projects valued between €200 million and €500 million. In addition, MetroLink has successfully passed Approval Gate 2 of the Infrastructure Guidelines and has progressed to the detailed procurement stage. It is worth noting this project will also eventually unlock 120,000 additional new homes across the Greater Dublin Area.

In relation to housing, the Action Plan is supporting the delivery of enabling infrastructure required for increased housing supply. The National Development Finance Agency is currently supporting Dublin City Council in the delivery of approximately 4,000 homes to 2030, while investment prioritisation through the National Development Plan review has focused on critical enabling infrastructure, including water, wastewater and transport projects. Changes made by my colleague, Deputy James Browne, in recent months have also expanded planning exemptions for certain housing works we should reduce delays and free existing planning resource for other critical projects.

Overall, these reforms are improving the pace of delivery of major infrastructure projects and helping to address barriers that have historically delayed critical housing, water and transport infrastructure.