Irish Examiner view: Review must get Ireland going again

We need to find a way to cut down the seemingly intractable delays to strategic infrastructure development projects

There are widespread concerns that excessive, expensive delays to SID projects might undermine the State’s delivery of the National Development Plan. Stock picture

In recent years, there have been protracted, expensive delays to the delivery of many key strategic infrastructure development (SID) projects — just look at such as the M20, the N6, the Galway Ring Road, the N28, the Dublin Metro, the National Children’s Hospital, and the National Broadband Plan.

In response to these delays, the Government has asked the Attorney General’s Office to undertake a review of the planning legislation to identify how these could best be reduced. However, recent events have also highlighted that it’s not just the planning system that is contributing to these delays.

There are actually many other significant factors, and there is now good reason to expand the current review process to focus on getting projects completed, rather than simply trying to remedy the causes of planning delays.

The planning review is set to be completed in December, but there are widespread concerns that excessive, expensive delays to SID projects might undermine the State’s delivery of the National Development Plan (NDP) by 2030. Such delays might also impact other Government objectives, not least the delivery of much-needed new housing developments.

Increased planning complexity, a propensity in Ireland for judicial reviews — up to and including the European Court of Justice — and project delays and protracted procurement processes also impact the delivery of SIDs and ultimately on national economic development.

It is imperative then that the ongoing review process embraces mechanisms to improve and accelerate the delivery of critically important SID projects, including strategic housing developments. The construction and engineering community therefore want to see the AG’s review process widened to include the prompt, timely delivery of SID projects and the NDP.

The sector wants reform of the public works contract, preferably by permitting the use of contracts which are internationally recognised, as well as the implementation of appropriate risk-sharing mechanisms to alleviate the impact of inflation and supply chain volatility on public-works construction contracts.

The timely delivery of SID projects — and not just planning delays — needs to be a focus of the Attorney General’s review.