Latest news with #JackChambers
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Slowing pace of capital project delivery has knock-on effects for Irish society
Purgatorial delays and escalating costs in delivering capital projects in Ireland is not a new phenomenon. A trawl back to the turn of the century will uncover many examples. They include the National Children's Hospital , the Luas tram system , the Galway Ring Road, the Metro project, offshore wind, and the proposal to extract water from the River Shannon for use in Dublin (first tabled by Dublin City Council in 2011). More than a decade ago prominent management consultant Eddie Molloy created a phrase to describe it: implementation deficit disorder. The latest in a long line of Government reports to grapple with the issue was launched on Tuesday by Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers . This one is short (less than 50 pages) and is essentially a scoping exercise with a brief to pinpoint the reasons for such long delays in completing infrastructure. Thinking up solutions will come later, with a report and action plan due in the autumn. READ MORE The report has identified 12 distinct barriers to timely completion and has not pulled its punches in presenting its findings. In short, the time it takes for big projects to be completed has 'lengthened considerably'. This has meant knock-on effects for society. For example, a wastewater system that is delayed in an area means housing estates cannot be built. The delays of often five years or more can result in the final costs ballooning to a multiple of the initial estimate (look no further than the National Children's Hospital). The 12 barriers are all related. Many of them link in one way or another to the most highlighted impediment of all: judicial review challenges. One key finding is the public is not sufficiently aware of the consequences of poor infrastructure for communities. That lack of knowledge of the real benefits of a project tends to 'magnify opposition'. [ Increase in High Court challenges a key barrier to timely completion of infrastructure, report finds Opens in new window ] There are ongoing developments and expansion plans for the Luas tram system. Photograph: Getty Images That opposition often becomes a High Court challenge. The report cites the Greater Dublin Drainage Project, which has been held back since 2020 by a successful challenge on a single ground. The project will not now be completed until 2032. In the meantime, costs have doubled and could have an impact on further development of housing in north Dublin. The key evidential finding is that the number of judicial review cases is increasing. In 2014, there were 42 cases. In 2024, that figure was 147. Already in the first six months of 2025, there have been 88 such court applications, a 20 per cent increase on last year. A judicial review case can result in a project taking between three and five years longer to complete. Red tape is another significant factor. Chambers cited an Irish Water project that has required 30,000 pages of information. When transposing EU directives, Ireland has often followed the highest possible standard. Elsewhere in Europe, an environmental impact assessment is required for a wastewater treatment plan if it serves a population of 150,000 or more. In Ireland, the threshold is much lower: only 10,000 people. Consequently, it takes more than six years to complete consent for each project in Ireland, many years more than in other EU States. The report has also identified a culture of risk aversion in the public service, partly caused by the increase in High Court cases. It has found that regulatory bodies and Government departments have spent more time scrutinising applications. 'The number of decisions that face judicial review and the associated reputational risk inevitably drives a more conservative approach to decision-making than might otherwise be the case,' it says. What is the impact? It takes a decade to complete a small water treatment plant. It takes seven years to develop a modest electricity substation. Major road projects can take 15 years. Capital projects have seen a doubling of timelines compared to 20 years ago.
The Journal
9 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
9 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.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Excessive regulation delaying key infrastructure projects, Cabinet to hear
Big projects are battling against too much regulation and are being delayed by up to five years due to judicial reviews, Cabinet is to be told. 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. Read More Call for Government to republish summer budget projections after US-EU trade deal
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
More than 3,000 archaic laws revoked under new bill, including rewards for reporting crimes such as beating people with nettles
Today, matters like those are dealt with through different regulatory channels, but the old laws provide insight into the social issues of past generations. Thousands of old statutes, many of which are hundreds of years old, have now been repealed, marking the biggest clean-up of out-of-date legislation in the State's history. Among more than 3,000 instruments being revoked are 2,500 proclamations offering rewards for suspected criminals. This also includes a proclamation for 'posting threatening notices about land, voting and potatoes'. The Statute Law Revision Act 2024, now signed into law, also revokes hundreds of proclamations specific to individual counties. Co Tipperary alone accounted for 426 of those proclamations, highlighting 'historical social unrest' in the area. The 18th and 19th centuries in Tipperary saw significant upheaval, with many land disputes causing tensions and conflict between landlords and their tenants. Dublin had just 71 such proclamations. In one proclamation, a specific prayer was prescribed for use during the Famine. 'This Act is a landmark moment in our ongoing commitment for legislative clarity and transparency. By repealing over 3,000 outdated instruments, we are not only decluttering our statute book but also making it more accessible and understandable for all,' Junior Minister in the Department of Publix Expenditure Emer Higgins said. 'The work of the Law Reform Commission and the Department in reviewing over 40,000 instruments has been meticulous and invaluable. While the repeals offer a snapshot of our country's rich history, this is about ensuring that our laws reflect the Ireland of today – not the Ireland of centuries past.' The Department of Public Expenditure said that while these instruments are 'often curious or archaic', their place on the statue book creates 'unnecessary complexity'. It said the removal of those instruments ensures Ireland's legal system 'remains modern, relevant and fit for purpose'. 'I welcome the signing into law of this important legislation which marks an important step in our ongoing work to modernise Ireland's legislative framework,' Public Expenditure Minister Jack Chambers said. 'Many of the repeals offer insight into the priorities and challenges faced by our country in times gone by and their repeal provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made as a society'. The Department noted the bill marks 'the most extensive statute law revision effort ever undertaken globally'.
