Policy Forum for Ireland

Morning, Monday, 23^rd November 2026

Online

This conference will examine next steps for the transport sector in Ireland. Areas for discussion include infrastructure investment and delivery, public transport and sustainable mobility, regional and cross-border connectivity, active travel and road safety, and decarbonisation and climate resilience.

It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss practicalities for delivery as the first year of a five-year investment programme gets under way, following €24.3bn committed to transport for 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan Review 2025 and Sectoral Investment Plan for Transport. Sessions will assess how projects are sequenced within a fixed envelope, alongside capacity across the sector, including skills and supply chain constraints, and the impact of cost inflation on project scope. Delegates will also consider what the Budget 2026 settlement supports in service terms, including concerns from some that the Public Service Obligation allocation largely sustains existing services rather than allowing for delivery of new projects.

As the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 moves into operation - with MetroLink, the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme and the Galway City Ring Road among the first projects designated in July - sessions will consider implications of designation for decision-making and delivery within existing consenting arrangements, the criteria informing further designation orders expected later this year, and how projects outside the designated cohort are affected by pressures on regulatory capacity. Application of the Act’s modified climate duties will also be examined - with transport having exceeded its first sectoral emissions ceiling and projected to exceed the second - alongside proposals for judicial review reform.

Further sessions will examine implementation of the Moving Together: A Collaborative Approach to Systems Change in Transport and the Sustainable Mobility Policy Action Plan 2026-2030, both published in March 2026. Attendees will consider how demand management measures are applied in practice, including for rural and lower-income users, and the capacity required across local authorities, agencies and operators to meet the action plan’s delivery timelines.

Infrastructure investment, planning & delivery
Discussion will examine priorities for implementing major infrastructure programmes and practicalities for delivery of commitments across the sector, assessing the reform programme now under way to speed up consenting and delivery, and potential constraints over where money can be channelled.

Overall, areas for discussion include:

• investment priorities: project prioritisation - sequencing across modes - multi-annual funding certainty - balancing new projects against asset renewal - next steps following the DoF’s Future Forty report
• designation & fast-tracking: project thresholds under the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 - changes within existing consenting steps - how modified climate duties apply to designated projects
• judicial review reform:
  
  • proposals for standing and costs and their implications for infrastructure decision-making - timeliness and effectiveness of challenge and access to justice
  • lessons learned from legal challenges affecting major transport projects
• delivery capability: procurement models and project governance - approval gates and business case requirements - coordination between government, agencies and local authorities
• capacity & cost: construction and engineering skills shortages - productivity, modern methods of construction and supply chain capacity - cost inflation and affordability
• development alignment: transport-oriented development under the revised National Planning Framework - supporting housing delivery and compact growth - freight and commercial demand
• public confidence: community engagement and consent - regional equity and balanced growth - impact of legal challenge on timelines

Rail development & all-island connectivity
Sessions will consider implications of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review and the Rail Project Prioritisation Strategy - which sequences projects without committing to delivery dates or funding. Delegates will discuss opportunities for strengthening cross-border connectivity and partnership with Northern Ireland, project prioritisation, funding and delivery arrangements, alongside wider questions around regional equity, rural transport provision and public engagement with transport planning and infrastructure development.

Overall, areas for discussion include:

• practicalities & sequencing: translating the Review’s recommendations into a delivery programme - early interventions for delivery by 2030 - how major projects are appraised and staged
• network capacity: intercity electrification and line speed improvements on the Dublin-Cork and Dublin-Belfast routes - passing loops, platforms and resilience works - additional capacity north of Connolly
• new & reinstated lines: the Western Rail Corridor - routes identified in NI and the border region - assessment, appraisal and funding arrangements
• cross-border delivery: joint governance and funding between administrations - alignment of planning and procurement across two jurisdictions - service, ticketing and timetable integration
• wider outcomes: rail freight growth and port connections - regional equity and rural access - public engagement in rail planning

Public transport, active travel & road safety
Further discussion will examine priorities for improving connectivity, service integration and accessibility across Ireland’s transport network - with a record 363.5 million public transport journeys recorded in 2025. Attendees will consider implementation of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan, progress on major public transport programmes such as MetroLink, funding commitments for public transport services, as well as walking and cycling delivery, and the response to a deteriorating road safety record - with the highest annual road death toll in a decade.

Overall, areas for discussion include:

• service development: implementation of the Sustainable Mobility Policy Action Plan 2026-2030 - conclusion of the Connecting Ireland Rural Mobility Plan - BusConnects delivery
• major programmes: MetroLink procurement following the Railway Order becoming operative in January 2026 - DART+ and the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme - Luas extensions and light rail in Cork
• funding & fares: increased Public Service Obligation allocation - the National Fares Strategy and targeted fare initiatives - resourcing new and enhanced services
• accessibility & inclusion: accessible vehicles, stations and stops - demand-responsive and rural services - passenger information, reliability and experience
• walking & cycling: National Cycle Network Plan and the finalised CycleConnects plans - local authority delivery capacity and scheme design - Safe Routes to School Programme - greenway networks
• roads & road safety: Road Safety Strategy Phase 2 Action Plan 2025-2027 - national and regional road renewal and bypasses - speed limits and enforcement technology - driver testing and licensing reform
• digital tools & data: intelligent transport systems and traffic management - connected and autonomous vehicles - digitising driver and vehicle services and collision data sharing

Decarbonisation & sector resilience
Further discussion will assess approaches to decarbonisation across transport modes, including key issues for emissions reduction targets and carbon budget commitments. Attendees will consider approaches to implementation of measures set out in the Climate Action Plan 2025, Moving Together: A Collaborative Approach to Systems Change in Transport, and the Sustainable Mobility Policy Action Plan 2026-2030, looking at the transition of freight, aviation and maritime, and the resilience of transport networks to a changing climate.

Overall, areas for discussion include:

• emissions & carbon budgets: performance against transport sectoral emissions ceiling - priorities for next Climate Action Plan update - demand management and modal shift under Moving Together
• electrification: forthcoming National EV Charging Infrastructure Strategy - charge point reliability, accessibility and regional coverage - grid capacity for electrified rail, bus and truck fleets
• renewable fuels: Renewable Transport Fuel Policy 2025-2027 - setting annual obligation rates against supply, sustainability and pump price pressures - HVO and renewable fuels of non-bio origin
• freight & logistics: HGV and van decarbonisation - operating costs, fuel price exposure and competitiveness - modal shift and port-rail integration
• aviation: refreshing the National Aviation Policy - Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Act 2026 and environmental assessments that follow - regional airports, connectivity and sustainable growth - implications of EU Emissions Trading System requirements for aviation
• maritime & ports: draft National Ports Policy - port capacity for offshore renewable energy - investment, funding models and governance
• climate resilience: storm, flood and coastal exposure across networks - adaptation planning and asset management - financing resilience alongside new build

All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those already due to attend include officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Department of Transport; Department of Education and Youth; Department for Infrastructure, NI; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NI; and Northern Ireland Audit Office.