Latest news with #Chambers
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
ieExplains: Why does every infrastructure project in Ireland take so long?
Ahead of the 2024 general election, then-Taoiseach Simon Harris was adamant Ireland needed a new Government department, one solely dedicated to the delivery of infrastructure. While Fianna Fáil was cooler on the idea, there was general agreement across the political spectrum: Ireland does not build things quickly enough. On Tuesday, there was confirmation of this in a new report that confirmed what everybody already knew. While the department of infrastructure did not get established, public expenditure Minister Jack Chambers was given the explicit title of infrastructure when he assumed the role in January. In May, he announced a new Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce. The taskforce, chaired by the minister, was established to "oversee the department's programme of reform to unblock barriers and accelerate infrastructure delivery". Why is it needed? The need for a taskforce is down to a simple fact: building in Ireland takes too long. Mr Chambers said on Tuesday "every element of the project life cycle has delayed things". "What's been set out here is that for infrastructure projects, the timeline has doubled in 20 years," Mr Chambers said. What does the report say? Tuesday's report uses examples from the likes of Uisce Éireann, which says the lead-in time for a small wastewater treatment project in Ireland is seven-10 years, and ESB Networks, which said the development cycle for an electricity substation has reached seven years. Major road projects can now have a development cycle of up to 15 years, it says, and these timelines have more than doubled compared to the development cycles typical just 20 years ago. This matters, because longer project lifecycles are costing more, and impeding the ability to provide adequate housing. It also delays the achievement of climate and environmental goals. The report also raises questions about the ability of the Irish construction sector to meet the challenges of infrastructure. It says the construction sector employed 236,800 people in 2007. At the beginning of this year, an estimated 178,000 people were directly employed in the sector, considerably fewer than 2007. The report says given limited labour availability, the capacity of the construction industry to expand to meet all of the investment needs in the economy must be carefully considered. The report says the key issues with Ireland's slow delivery are: a lack of public information which magnifies opposition, regulatory burden, risk aversion, insufficient co-ordination on approvals, slow processes, and procurement challenges. Do legal challenges play a part? According to the stakeholders, yes. The words "judicial review" appear in the review a total of 50 teams, with Mr Chambers saying he was concerned these were "too often being used as a mechanism and a tactic to obstruct and delay, and this distorts the intended purpose of judicial review from a remedy of last resort to a tactical tool to delay infrastructure development and clog up our courts". But put to him this view paints those who take legal cases as "bogeymen" in the face of a Government inability to deliver infrastructure, Mr Chambers said everything needed to change internally within how the State regulates and oversees projects. Read More Excessive regulation delaying key infrastructure projects, Cabinet to hear
The Journal
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
Chambers says any extra money given to ministers for Budget will come with strings attached
MINISTER FOR PUBLIC Expenditure and Reform Jack Chambers has said any extra money that he signs off on for each government department as part of this year's Budget will 'absolutely' come with conditions. Speaking to reporters in Dublin today, the minister said the 'reform' part of his brief is just as important as the 'public expenditure' part and he will be working across government to make sure changes are implemented to drive economic growth and prosperity. 'For me, as we develop a medium-term expenditure framework, driving reform within the Irish economy is as important as any minister coming to me looking for additionality,' Chambers said. The minister was speaking after bringing a report to Cabinet today which outlines the biggest barriers to getting infrastructure projects in the State delivered. 'People are immensely frustrated at the slow pace of delivery is driving up the cost of infrastructure, and the failure to build sufficient infrastructure is imposing real limitations on our growth and development as a country,' Chambers said. 'Our electricity and water systems are approaching crisis points in many parts of our country, which, if not addressed, will limit our ability to build the homes that we need and indeed provide for any of the other infrastructure, social or economic that we need. Advertisement 'In short, we simply must do better by removing the barriers that are slowing delivery,' he explained. In particular, Chambers highlighted people taking judicial reviews against infrastructure projects as a major issue that is stalling development, noting that the number of judicial reviews have been rising every year. In 2025, they increased by 25%. Chambers said judicial reviews play an important role in upholding fair procedures and transparency in decision-making processes, but added: 'However, I am deeply concerned that judicial review is too often being used as a mechanism and a tactic to obstruct and delay.' 'This distorts the intended purpose of judicial review from a remedy of last resort to a tactical tool to delay infrastructure development and clogs up our courts, which are across our civil legal system, in particular, some of the slowest in Europe,' he said. The minister said work will now begin to see what reforms can be introduced in the autumn to 'balance' this issue. 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
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Increase in High Court challenges a key barrier to timely completion of infrastructure
A 20 per cent increase in judicial review challenges this year has been identified as a key barrier to timely completion of big capital projects and housing . This assessment is made in a new report examining the sluggish delivery of critical infrastructure in the State. The document points to a culture of risk aversion and excessive caution within the public service at the expense of timely decisions on projects. Increased regulatory burdens (including examples of applications requiring 30,000 pages of information), slow appraisal processes and inconsistent planning decisions are also cited as drags on delivery. READ MORE Delivering the report on Tuesday, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Jack Chambers said people are 'immensely frustrated' at the pace of delivery and how this drives up costs. The report, which identified 12 key barriers to development, said that despite record investment in capital projects, the time it takes to complete these projects has lengthened considerably. Mr Chambers said it is clear from the report that delays are imposing limitations on the State's growth and development. 'Our electricity and water systems are approaching crisis points in many parts of our country that, if not addressed, will limit our ability to build the homes that we need and indeed provide for any of the other infrastructure, social or economic, that we need . . . We simply must do better by removing the barriers.' A higher number of High Court judicial review cases is pinpointed, with evidence to show challenges to planning decisions have risen by a fifth this year compared to 2024. The Minister said: 'I am deeply concerned that judicial review is too often being used as a mechanism and a tactic to obstruct and delay. This distorts the intended purpose of judicial review from a remedy of last resort to a tactical tool to delay infrastructure development.' Saying Irish court processes were among the slowest in Europe, he argued the net effect is inordinately long delays and a significant spike in project costs. He said it was having a 'serious chilling effect' on the commencement of projects. Mr Chambers outlined the example of a judicial review challenge to the Greater Dublin Drainage Project in 2020, which necessitated the need for a revised planning application in July 2025. The project, aimed at dealing with waste water on the north side of the capital, will now not be completed until 2032, while the project development costs have doubled in the interim. The delay of almost a decade might also impede the development of housing in that area of Dublin . [ Local authorities told to zone more land for housing, as national target more than doubles Opens in new window ] Mr Chambers said: 'It's easy to say that public bodies should simply ensure that all documentation is correct. But when Irish Water has to develop a planning application for projects that come to more than 30,000 pages, it's clear to me that process has grown far too excessive and is getting in the way of the common good.' Mr Chambers said risk aversion in the public service is also a theme of the report. The risk of judicial challenge has resulted in regulatory bodies carrying out more in-depth assessments of applications to mitigate risk. 'While this increased scrutiny may have some benefits, it appears to be coming at the expense of timely decisions,' he added. Over decades, he said, there has been a pattern of decentralising significant policy decisions to different agencies and regulatory bodies. This has slowed policies and decisions, he said. His department received 170 submissions from the public and other stakeholders. A final report and an action plan addressing the identified barriers will be published in the autumn.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Woman allegedly linked to case involving pre-schooler's sexual assault given stern warning
SINGAPORE: A woman, allegedly linked to a case involving the purported sexual assault of a two-year-old female pre-schooler in 2023, has been given a stern warning and was granted a discharge amounting to an acquittal on July 16. This means, the 66-year-old woman cannot be charged again over the same offence. She was one of four women who were hauled to court in February and was charged with one count of intentionally omitting information in relation to an alleged outrage of modesty on the child at a pre-school. All four, who were then management staff of the pre-school, have since been removed from their postings. Without revealing details on Monday (July 28), the Attorney-General's Chambers told The Straits Times: 'After investigations and with careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the matter, the prosecution directed that a stern warning be administered to the accused. 'Following the administration of the stern warning, the prosecution applied for (the) discharge.' District Judge Kok Shu-En then granted it during a pre-trial conference on July 16. A man accused of molesting the girl and all four women cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the child's identity. The cases involving the three remaining women and the man are still pending. On Dec 6, 2023, the man, then 59, was charged with one count of using criminal force on a person below 14 years old with intent to outrage modesty. According to court documents, the Malaysian man, who is also a Singapore permanent resident, allegedly used criminal force on the toddler by placing his right hand inside her diaper to molest her in November that year. The women were later charged in court. The trio, whose cases are still pending, were 48, 58 and 61 years old when they were charged in February. They were each given one charge of intentionally omitting information on the alleged sexual assault. The 48-year-old and 58-year-old women were also charged with obstruction of justice as they allegedly reformatted the pre-school's closed-circuit television system on Nov 26, 2023, which contained a clip of the alleged offence. The two of them were also given a third charge of obstruction of justice, allegedly committed between Nov 16 and 17 in 2023. The 48-year-old woman is said to have deleted a video clip of the alleged sexual assault in her WhatsApp chat with the 58-year-old woman, who was in Vietnam at the time. The 61-year-old woman was given a second charge of engaging in a conspiracy for the obstruction of justice. - The Straits Times/ANN
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
The relationship advice couples counsellors swear by
1. Managing your differences is crucial Many factors determine whether a partnership is a happy one, but the central task of a relationship is learning to manage differences, according to Anthony Chambers, a psychologist and the chief academic officer of the Family Institute at Northwestern University. Chambers believes that getting good at managing differences – whether over daily annoyances, or bigger expectations, desires and communication preferences – boils down to three things: flexibility, curiosity and humility. Flexible couples 'approach interactions not with the perspective of trying to prove that they are right and their partner is wrong, but rather with the mindset of realising there are multiple ways we can address our differences,' Chambers said, adding that partners 'need to keep in mind that there is a low correlation between being right and being happy!' Couples who are good at managing their inevitable differences tend to experience higher relationship satisfaction, he said. Couples who aren't struggle. It's not the stuff of Hallmark cards, but it is foundational. 2. Bouncing back is a skill Couples who argue can still be quite happy and connected if they are good at 'repair,' or reconnecting after conflict, said Lauren Fogel Mersy, a psychologist and sex therapist based in Minnesota, and co-author of Desire: An Inclusive Guide to Navigating Libido Differences in Relationships. Repair is all about processing what happened and coming back from it in healthy, effective ways, she said. Her clients often take for granted that they are good at repair, but it is actually a skill people need to learn. Partners have different ways they like to regroup after a disagreement. For instance, do you generally like to take a cool-down break? Does physical touch tend to help or make things worse? Are your apologies genuine and effective? You and your partner might not necessarily need the same repair, but talking about your preferences in calmer moments can help foster understanding when conflict inevitably arises. 3. Feelings more than facts Proving that you're right might feel like a worthy and satisfying goal in the midst of a disagreement. But couples who get overly focused on facts can easily get stuck in an attack-defend pattern, said Alexandra Solomon, a psychologist in Illinois and the author of Loving Bravely. It ultimately serves the relationship more to try to get curious about what your partner is feeling and why they might be viewing a particular situation so differently from you, she said. 'When we focus on the facts, we are primed for debate, it's me versus you,' Solomon explained. 'When we focus on the feelings, we're primed for dialogue.' 4. Taking turns is an overlooked skill Parents and teachers spend a lot of time teaching young children how to take turns during playtime and conversation, but couples often forget that very basic skill, said Julie Menanno, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Bozeman, Montana, and the author of Secure Love. It sounds simple, but couples who neglect to take turns have a tendency to start talking over each other, Menanno said. 'Nobody's being heard. Nobody's listening. Everybody's taking the mic,' she said, adding that couples 'get stuck in whose needs matter more and who gets to hurt the most'. Every couple she works with has to learn or relearn how to take turns, Menanno said. Some basics: look to have conversations when you're feeling calm and regulated, listen when your partner is speaking and paraphrase what you heard, asking if they want to elaborate. 5. Sliding and deciding are not the same thing Galena Rhoades, a psychologist and research professor at the University of Denver and co-author of Fighting For Your Marriage (the fourth edition), often reminds couples that there is a big difference between passively 'sliding' into circumstances – everything from how often you have sex to where you want to live – and proactively deciding what is right for the relationship. Rhoades has found that understanding the difference can be empowering to couples – a reminder that they can be more deliberate about issues big and small, even if they have been doing things a certain way for years. 'You don't have to stay on that kind of coasting trajectory where you're just sliding through things together,' she said. 'You can change your approach and be more intentional.' 6. Happy couples never stop playing together Play and laughter can soothe the nervous system, helping you cope with stress and bring your best self to the relationship. Those activities can sometimes fizzle out over time between couples, said Stephen Mitchell, a psychotherapist in Denver and co-author of Too Tired to Fight. 'People underestimate the power of humour in terms of helping couples feel connected and helping them work through challenging moments,' Mitchell said. He often urges his clients to look diligently for opportunities to have fun together. Small things can suffice: send a silly text, cultivate inside jokes or plan a surprise date. 7. You probably already know what to do If you can get in touch with your genuine wants and needs, you may find the keys to improving your relationship, though it can take real courage to act on them. Jeff Guenther, a licensed professional counsellor in Portland, Oregon, who runs the popular social media account TherapyJeff, said that sometimes his job as a therapist is simply to reassure people searching for answers in a relationship that they already know the solution. 'You know if it's working or it's not working,' he said. 'You know what conversations you've been avoiding. You know what you're settling for.' It can help to ask yourself something like: If my best friend or son or daughter was in the situation I'm in now, what advice would I give? (Sometimes, he said, the answer might be: See a couples therapist.) 8. Working on your own stress is a boon for your partner Going through a rocky stretch in your relationship likely adds stress to your life. But consider the flip side – if you're not managing the stress in your life, it is likely spilling over into your relationship. Elizabeth Earnshaw, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Philadelphia and the author of the book 'Til Stress Do Us Part, said that when partners don't work to mitigate their own stress, it can cause a relationship disconnect. You become irritable, withdrawn, short with each other. That can lead to more arguments or cause you each to retreat, creating greater emotional distance. Earnshaw teaches couples a system she calls the stress spillover system. Together, they make a list of stressors, then put them into three baskets: those they can shed (stressors they can and likely should eliminate), those they can prevent (usually with more planning) and those they can neither avoid nor plan for better, and therefore simply must adapt to. 'When people are mismanaging their stress, they are also more likely to become 'self-focused,' which means they will think of their own needs and agenda more than their partner's,' she said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Written by: Catherine Pearson ©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES
