The Irish Planning Institute, (IPI), the all-island professional membership organisation representing professional planners, has welcomed the publication of the report by the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce.

The report outlines a number of key actions to be implemented over the coming years, including a significant reform of the legal system to reduce incentives for judicial review actions, regulatory simplification, improved co-ordination between state agencies to speed up delivery of projects, and targeted measures to improve public acceptance of the benefits of critical infrastructure.
Within the professional planning community, there is broad recognition that the consenting process for large infrastructure projects has become far too complex and is mired in litigation, leading to long delays, missed deadlines, cost inflation and public misunderstanding.

The recommendations from the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce to streamline the consenting process for strategic infrastructure projects of national importance and promote better dialogue on the benefits of critical infrastructure therefore make sense and are welcome.

The Irish Planning Institute welcomes the commitment to publish National Planning Statements for Critical Infrastructure going forward. It is critical that the state identifies a list of core infrastructure projects that are of strategic national economic, social and environmental importance. This will provide consenting bodies with a mandate to prioritise these projects through the system and give greater certainty to communities around the country about what is considered essential to the future sustainability of Ireland.

Gavin Lawlor, President of the Irish Planning Institute, said:

I welcome the publication of the report by the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce today. There’s little doubt that Ireland needs to improve how it delivers major infrastructure projects that are critical to the future of the country. Whether it’s renewables, transport, or utility infrastructure, the current system has become incredibly complex and is weighed down in litigation, with frequent consequential decisions coming from the High Court.

We welcome the initiatives to engage with communities more around the concept of the common good and the benefits that sustainable infrastructure will bring to wider society and the environment. This is part of a framework of more informed and meaningful public consultation and engagement with communities and key stakeholders.

Overall, I welcome the proposals from the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce. The role of professional planners is to find the right balance between policy and the public good. And I hope these proposed changes will be implemented with the same goal in mind.”