Excessive regulation delaying key infrastructure projects, Cabinet to hear
Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers will brief ministers on a report by his department's infrastructure division at the final Cabinet meeting before the summer break at Government Buildings.
It is understood that this report will outline emerging themes and barriers that are delaying the delivery of infrastructure in Ireland following consultation and engagement.
It comes just a week after the publication of the review of the National Development Plan.
It is understood that the report will outline 12 key thematic issues delaying the delivery of infrastructure.
These include the increased regulatory and legal burden for those developing key infrastructure, inconsistent planning decisions, limits on regulatory agencies' ability to prioritise and consider wider societal aims, and limited public awareness of the consequences of poor infrastructure.
The report is also expected to place a heavy emphasis on the impact that judicial reviews are having, as well as the growing threat of judicial reviews on infrastructure delivery.
It is estimated that the planning and consenting process for critical infrastructure takes between three and five years longer due to the added threat, duration, and impact of judicial reviews.
The report will also outline areas of international best practice that are being examined as potential solutions in Ireland.
These include recent reforms such as the One Canadian Economy Act 2025, which provides for certain projects of national interest to be fast-tracked.
The final report, together with an accompanying action plan, will be published in the autumn.
Housing minister James Browne, meanwhile, will bring plans to Cabinet to increase housing supply targets for each local authority in the country.
The number of units zoned for will increase from 33,000 to 83,000 per annum until 2034 under the new guidelines.
It is understood that Mr Browne has indicated that he expects 'urgent and immediate action' from all councils to respond to the housing crisis'.
Ministers are also expected to be updated on minister of State for planning John Cummins' proposals to exempt certain developments from having to seek planning permission. A public consultation will go live today.
Elsewhere, social protection minister Dara Calleary will tell ministers that pensions auto-enrolment is making "good progress" before its launch in January. It follows earlier delays to the project, which saw it pushed from January 2025 to September 2025 to January 2026.
Energy minister Darragh O'Brien will bring a bill which will outline how ESB Networks should deal with unmanaged vegetation and commercial forestry close to electricity infrastructure. This was developed in the wake of Storm Eowyn.
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The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Israeli tactics leave dangerous security vacuum in Gaza which Hamas continues to exploit
Hana Salah Palestinian journalist ISRAEL'S CONTINUING ASSAULTS on Gaza cause daily devastations for the people of Palestine. The starvation of children has become the most visible and derided of those consequences. But last month's killing of 18 Palestinian humanitarian workers, allegedly by Hamas affiliates, also points to a less discussed impact: the dangers of escalating internal lawlessness due to Israel's systematic dismantling of the usual governance mechanisms in Gaza. The Independent Commission for Human Rights says Israeli strikes have systematically dismantled these mechanisms – by targeting police stations, courthouses and prisons. That has left a dangerous security vacuum. Hamas, and other gangs, continue to exploit the gap. On 11 June, at least 18 people working for the US-Israel backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) were killed when the bus they were travelling in was ambushed by gunmen. The incident received little media or public attention in June. What exactly happened on 11 June? According to family interviews and statements, the attackers stopped the bus and accused the workers of collaborating with Israel before unleashing a brutal assault that initially left 11 people dead. About another 17 were injured. Bereaved families now say that at least seven of those 17 were later killed later inside Nasser Hospital, where they had initially been taken for treatment, bringing the death toll to 18. No group has officially claimed responsibility but families of the victims say the attackers were members of the armed Sahem unit, which is affiliated with Hamas. The GHF claimed in a public statement that Hamas gunmen were behind the killings and called for an independent investigation. Hamas, which governs Gaza but has seen its authority fray during the war, has not commented publicly on the incident. However, survivors of the attack say they were targeted because the Sahem unit believed they were members of the Israel-backed Abu Shabab gang. Why were they targeting GHF workers? The GHF, which has controversially, ineffectively and dangerously become the sole provider of food aid in parts of Gaza after Israeli authorities restricted UN agency operations, has faced scrutiny from multiple sides. Some local groups accuse it of serving US interests and consider its operations as 'death traps' because of a lack of proper security protocols. The Palestinian workers were erroneously accused by the Hamas unit of being Abu Shabab gang members because of GHF's links to Israel. 'They were beaten, shot, humiliated' 'What happened was not a mistake. It was a crime,' says local journalist Alaa Al-Helou about the bus ambush. 'They were beaten, shot, humiliated — and then denied medical help in the hospital. And all because of a false accusation.' According to the families' statement, armed men stopped the GHF vehicle before beating the driver and passengers with sticks and rifle butts. They then shot some of them in the legs. Survivors say they were stripped of their belongings and dragged onto the street, where bystanders, incited by the attackers, joined in the assault. 'They forced us off the bus and made us lie on the ground. Then they began beating and shooting us, one by one,' said Younis Abu Shaloof, 18, and a survivor of the attack. 'When the armed men left, people thought we were part of Abu Shabab gang and collaborating with Israel and started hitting us too. The ambulance took us to hospital in Khan Younis.' Yousef was lucky as his family moved him from Nasser hospital in Kahn Younis to another field hospital in Deir Al-Balah, so he survived the second attack by the armed men in the hospital which killed at least seven others injured in the same incident. 'They hit me in the knee, and I passed out,'he recalls. 'When I came to, I saw another man next to me, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head. 'I smeared some of his blood on my own head and rubbed sand over my face, hoping the gunmen would think I was already dead — so they wouldn't shoot me again and finish me off.' Contracting complications One source, who spoke to The Journal on condition of anonymity, said that the GHF had contracted a bus company for transportation and subcontracted Al-Khuzundar Company to supply the labourers. On 26 May 2025, the Al-Khozendar family — to which the head of the subcontractor company working with the GHF belongs — issued a public statement disowning Mohammad Mohsen Al-Khozendar for his alleged collaboration with a US firm involved in Israeli military projects. The statement, rooted in tribal and social norms in Gaza, condemned any logistical or engineering work that supports such initiatives as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause, and stressed that the company bearing the family name does not represent the family or its values. The transportation company, the source added, claimed it had been communicating with Hamas-affiliated internal security forces to coordinate the workers' movement in the designated humanitarian area. They also had an oral coordination with the Israeli army. Advertisement 'The Israeli army contacted the Palestinian coordinator (sub-contractor) through phone to allow or stop the movement but that doesn't guarantee the bus, or any coordinated movement is protected from strikes, shots, bombing,' the source added. Who knew about the bus movement at that hour? A member of another bereaved family said the bus had been waiting for coordination approval when the attack occurred. 'The bus was waiting for clearance, and the armed men struck nearly an hour after coordination calls began,' the source said. This could suggest that some security sources were already aware of its coordination request.' Youssef recalls the armed men asking them if they were with the Abu Shabab gang which is backed by the Israeli army. 'They asked us if we were working with Abu Shabab, but we denied,' Youssef said. 'I'm too afraid to leave my home now,' said the survivor Youssef. 'I will never work for the American organisation again. Better to die by an Israeli airstrike than be killed as a 'traitor' by our own people.' In the fragmented landscape of Gaza's ongoing war, the Abu Shabab militia has emerged as a controversial player, reportedly collaborating with Israeli forces while launching attacks on Hamas-linked units such as the Sahem Unit. The group is believed to be operating out of Rafah's eastern border and was formed during the current conflict. Its leader, Yasser Abu Shabab, 34, is now at the centre of fierce accusations from the Joint Operations Room of Palestinian Resistance Factions, which has charged him with treason and leading an illegal armed group. A Revolutionary Court has issued a 10-day deadline for his surrender, warning he will otherwise be tried in absentia. Security body seize bus Formally, no group has claimed responsibility. Hamas has not commented. The day after the incident, Abu Shabab denied the images of the killings showed members of its militia, according to EuroNews . But a month on from the attack, the Hamas Interior Ministry issued a statement banning all forms of collaboration or work with the GHF. The bus involved in the attack was seized by a security body in Gaza, according to sources. Witnesses said no one was allowed to approach the vehicle, and individuals who attempted to do so were reportedly beaten. There have been other killings of suspected Israel collaborators during the lawless chaos of the conflict. However, other innocent civilians have also been mistakenly targeted. On 26 September 2024, Islam Hejazi, Gaza Programme Director at the US-based charity Shifa' Palestine, was shot dead by armed men in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Gunmen in three vehicles opened fire on the car she was travelling in, firing around 90 bullets. Her family said government officials later told them it was a case of mistaken identity — her vehicle had been wrongly suspected of resembling one linked to a wanted man accused of collaboration. Hejazi, a mother of two, was described by Shifa' Palestine as a dedicated humanitarian 'of the highest integrity and professionalism'. The charity said it remained committed to serving Gaza in her memory. Dismantling of public order In a strongly worded statement, the Independent Commission for Human Rights condemned the Khan Younis attack as an extrajudicial killing and a serious breach of international law. It warned of a disturbing rise in armed groups acting outside any official framework, and called for an urgent, independent investigation to restore public trust and uphold the rule of law. A lawyer associated with a human rights organisation in Gaza talked to The Journal on condition of anonymity due to potential risk to his safety, and said his organisation and others are working to document cases of extrajudicial killings and vigilante violence, but stressed the extreme difficulty of collecting accurate data during an ongoing war. 'It is nearly impossible to provide precise numbers at this stage,' he told The Journal. 'The war has made documentation extremely difficult — especially during the period when Gaza was effectively divided between the north and south.' He added that many killings have not been officially investigated by the Public Prosecution or the Ministry of Health, leaving their motives unclear. 'It is often unknown whether these were revenge attacks, personal disputes, or related to allegations of collaboration with the occupation,' he said. 'There are certainly killings, but in many cases, the reasons remain undetermined — particularly under the current conditions of war.' Looting During the 11 June, the Hamas unit targeted workers which the group erroneously identified as Israel collaborators. Meanwhile, the United Nations last week said that 766 aid-seeking Palestinians have been killed in the vicinity of GHF sites – mostly by the IDF. UN human rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan told the AFP news agency that these almost 800 victims were killed by Israeli military actions. That death toll has since increased. The collapse of civil order in Gaza has also been highlighted by the UN Protection Cluster, which warned that humanitarian efforts are being severely disrupted. In a recent update, the group said aid delivery is hindered not only by Israeli restrictions and access barriers, but also by growing lawlessness within Gaza, fuelled in part by Israeli strikes on civilian police infrastructure. It noted that the breakdown in law enforcement has led to increased looting and attacks on humanitarian convoys. The closure of the Rafah crossing since May 2024 — aside from limited evacuations of medical cases — has further compounded the crisis. Israeli military operations and an ongoing siege, particularly in northern Gaza since October, have deepened insecurity and worsened conditions for civilians and aid workers alike. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Pope Leo tells thousands of youth to build better world
Tens of thousands of young people filled a vast field on the outskirts of Rome to see Pope Leo, in the largest event yet of the new Catholic pontiff's tenure. It forms part of a special weekend aimed at energising Catholic youth. Young people from more than 146 countries were pressed against fences in the Tor Vergata field as Pope Leo toured the crowd in his white popemobile in late afternoon. The pope, smiling broadly, waved, offered blessings and occasionally caught small stuffed animals and national flags thrown by the youth as he passed by. "Dear young people ... my prayer for you is that you may persevere in faith, with joy and courage," Pope Leo said in remarks later to the crowd. "Seek justice in order to build a more humane world," he said. Adding: "Serve the poor, and so bear witness to the good that we would always like to receive from our neighbours." Many of the youth attending the event spent all day waiting in the field in heat approaching 30C. Organisers used water cannons to help cool down people in the crowd. "For me, it is an incredible emotion because I had never been to an event like this before," said Maya Remorini, from Italy's Tuscany region. She said her group had arrived around 5am that morning. Many of the youth are expected to sleep in the field overnight, waiting for a second chance to see Pope Leo tomorrow morning, when the pope is due to celebrate a Catholic mass. The weekend events are tied to the ongoing Catholic Holy Year, which the Vatican said has attracted some 17 million pilgrims to Rome since it started at the end of 2024. Pope Leo, the first US-born pope, was elected on 8 May by the world's cardinals to replace the late Pope Francis.
RTÉ News
15 hours ago
- RTÉ News
US envoy meets Israeli hostage's families in Tel Aviv
US envoy Steve Witkoff has met the families of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, as fears for the captives' survival mounts almost 22 months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack. Mr Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the families. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum confirmed the meeting was under way and videos shared online showed Mr Witkoff arriving as families chanted "bring them home" and "we need your help". The visit came one day after the US official visited a US-and-Israeli backed aid station in Gaza, to inspect efforts to get food into the devastated Palestinian territory. Yotam Cohen, brother of 21-year-old hostage Nimrod Cohen, told AFP in the square: "The war needs to end. "The Israeli government will not end it willingly. It has refused to do so." Mr Cohen said the Israeli government "must be stopped". "For our sakes, for our soldiers' sakes, for our hostages' sakes, for our sons and for the future generations of everybody in the Middle East," he added. After the meeting, the forum released a statement saying Mr Witkoff had given them a personal commitment that he and US President Donald Trump would work to return the remaining hostages. The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, had been mediating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that would allow the hostages to be released and humanitarian aid to flow more freely. But talks broke down last month and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is under increasing domestic pressure to come up with another way to secure the missing hostages, alive and dead. He is also facing international calls to open Gaza's borders to allow more food aid after UN and humanitarian agencies warned that more than two million Palestinian civilians are facing starvation. But Israel's top general warned there would be no respite in fighting in Gaza if the hostages were not released. "I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages," army chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said, according to a military statement. "If not, the combat will continue without rest," he said, during remarks to officers in Gaza yesterday. Of the 251 people who were abducted from Israel during Hamas's attack in October 2023, 49 remain in Gaza, 27 of them dead, according to the Israeli military. Palestinian armed groups this week released two videos of hostages looking emaciated and weak. Mr Zamir denied that there was widespread starvation in Gaza. "The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (Israeli military), a moral army, of war crimes," he said. "The ones responsible for the killing and suffering of the residents in the Gaza Strip is Hamas," he added. Hamas's 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to a tally based on official figures. A total of 898 Israeli soldiers have also been killed, according to the military. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, deemed reliable by the UN. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed 21 people in the territory today. Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said two people were killed and another 26 injured after an Israeli strike on a central Gaza area where Palestinians had gathered before a food distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. He added that the bombings mostly targeted the areas near the southern city of Khan Younis and Gaza City in the north. Mr Witkoff visited another GHF site for five hours yesterday, promising that Mr Trump would come up with a plan to better feed civilians. Adnan Abu Hasna, of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, told AFP that the agency had "approximately 6,000 trucks ready for the Gaza Strip, but the crossings are closed by political decision". "There are five land crossings into the strip through which 1,000 trucks can enter daily," he added. The UN human rights office in the Palestinian territories said yesterday at least 1,373 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza had been killed since 27 May, most of them by the Israeli military.
