Morning, Friday, 29th January 2027
Online
This conference will examine next steps for Ireland’s infrastructure. Areas for discussion include addressing delivery constraints across housing, utilities and transport, the phased commencement of the Planning and Development Act 2024, and investment priorities set out in Project Ireland 2040.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to discuss implications of the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure - Report and Action Plan for the planning, legal and delivery environment, alongside priorities arising from the revised National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan. Delegates will consider progress so far in implementing its time-bound actions and whether they are translating into practical change, looking at the governance, sequencing and resourcing needed across departments, agencies and delivery bodies.
Options for reducing project delays while maintaining confidence in decision-making will be discussed, including the role of An Coimisiún Pleanála, priorities for implementation of the Planning and Development Act 2024, approaches to streamlining consenting and associated processes, early implementation of the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 and the designation and prioritisation of projects, and the scope of further legal reform, including proposed changes to judicial review.
Further discussion is expected on how infrastructure delivery can be aligned with housing objectives in Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 - including the role of the Housing Activation Office and the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund in addressing barriers around enabling infrastructure, site readiness and utility connections.
Sessions will assess priorities for key sectors - including electricity, water and transport - and what will be required to coordinate investment, skills and supply chains at pace, as well as options for regional delivery through Regional Assemblies and local authorities. The conference will also look at wider considerations for long-term delivery, including the emerging legislative framework for private wires and grid build-out, approaches to sustainability and resilience, and the place of cross-border and EU collaboration where it can support delivery of strategic projects.
Overall, areas for discussion include:
- planning reform: implementation of the Planning and Development Act - sequencing remaining commencement - development consents - resourcing across planning bodies - delivery certainty
- delivery: Report and Action Plan progress - designation and prioritisation under the Critical Infrastructure Act - addressing consenting delays - confidence in decision-making - scope for further legal reform
- demand & system capacity: assessing scale of demand across housing, utilities and transport - addressing identified system constraints - modernisation and digitalisation of infrastructure delivery
- investment & funding: priorities for allocating public capital under the updated National Development Plan - role of private finance and partnerships - managing risk, value and long-term affordability
- housing: coordination with Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030 - site readiness and utility connections - role of the Housing Activation Office and Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund
- key sectors: electricity, water and transport infrastructure - grid build-out and private wires - coordinating skills, supply chains and delivery bodies - project sequencing and delivery timelines
- place-based implementation: role of Regional Assemblies and local authorities - expectations under the revised NPF - urban, regional and rural growth needs - community engagement
- sustainability & resilience: integrating climate and biodiversity objectives - infrastructure resilience and security - alignment with national and EU sustainability frameworks
- cross-border cooperation: role of all-island and EU collaboration - progress on shared strategic corridors - supporting delivery of nationally strategic projects
