Ireland facing sand and gravel shortage due to planning delays, industry warns

The Irish Concrete Federation warns critical housing and infrastructure projects could face major delays unless quarry planning accelerates

The report states that projects like the Cork Docklands will require 1.1 million tonnes of aggregate over the lifetime of its redevelopment.

Ireland will need more than a billion tonnes of crushed rock, sand and gravel by 2040 to complete housing and infrastructure projects but planning delays and refusals could result in critical shortages the State's concrete industry has warned.

A report published this week states that just 61% of the annual consumption of aggregates is currently being replenished by means of new planning authorisations. 

The Irish Concrete Federation (ICF) warned that at current levels of authorisation, the replenishment levels will to 52% over the 2025 – 2040 period as demand for aggregates increases due to Ireland’s growing population.

The report has found that quarry planning decisions in 2024 took over four times longer than the statutory timeframe for such decisions. There is a statutory objective for planning applications to local authorities that are appealed to An Coimisiún Pleanála to be decided on within 30 weeks.

The report found that quarry development applications from 2017 up to 2024 are delayed in the planning system for 91 weeks on average. In 2024 alone, decision-making timeframes had increased to 129 weeks. 

"Ireland has natural reserves of high-quality aggregates, which are essential raw materials for Ireland’s future infrastructure requirements,” said ICF Chief Executive Officer, Gerry Farrell. “Yet current planning decision timelines and a lack of a coordinated policy on the long-term sustainable supply of aggregates will threaten Ireland’s ability to meet future demand for housing and infrastructure projects."

The ICF estimates that more than 20 million tonnes of aggregate alone will be required for the flagship infrastructure projects under the Ireland 2040 plan, including 1.1m tonnes for the Cork City Docklands rejuvenation, 1.5m for the Cork to Limerick Motorway, and a further 1.5m for the Metrolink project in Dublin.

The government’s commitment to double the current annual delivery of new homes to 60,000 also underlines the need for secure supplies of aggregates in the medium and longer term.

The report, authored by RPS Consulting, warned that the shortage could be particularly acute in the greater Dublin area, which would eventually lead to increased haulage of large volumes of aggregates over longer distances from quarries located outside the region, thereby increasing fuel consumption, costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The report calls for a Policy Statement from the Government that would recognise crushed stone as gravel as a strategic resource. It also recommends additional resources should be provided to the planning authorities for training and education specifically related to the extraction of aggregates.

"This will ensure that these raw materials, which are a finite resource and whose geographical location is fixed, are extracted in a sustainable and regulated manner compatible with the protection of the environment, heritage and quality of life of residents," Mr Farrell said.