Ireland, and by extension Dublin, has an infrastructure delivery problem that is now well-documented, with the burden being carried by both business and citizens alike.
For too long, the stop-start nature of our investment cycles, an overly-legalistic planning system and a labyrinth of overlapping consents and licences have constrained our economic potential, hindered our decarbonisation efforts and frayed social cohesion in the process.
However, there are now signs that the tide is turning. The Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Report & Action Plan has identified 30 actions to break through the inertia and accelerate project delivery, many of which had been raised by Ibec. Implementation during 2026 is now the Government’s primary objective and Dublin must capitalise on these reforms, putting forward an ambitious vision for our metropolitan region to meet the moment.
There are green shoots appearing across the capital. Dublin City Council’s rejuvenation agenda for the city centre can now be delivered through a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle, the kind of innovative financing mechanism that warrants widespread adoption. The move to expand the remit of the Grangegorman Development Authority (GDA) to deliver major projects for the further education sector allows for the reputation, skills, and institutional knowledge to be retained, acting as a centralised coordination body.
Crucially, planning obstacles impacting strategic infrastructure are being reformed, rebalancing the system towards the common good for the first time. With projected wastewater increases of over 50% over the coming 30 years, the Greater Dublin Drainage (GDD) Project has the greenlight to deliver critical increases in treatment capacity, allowing for the provision of swathes of new housing. MetroLink, whose success is inextricably linked to Dublin’s reputation and our ability to attract the international talent necessary to build an infrastructure delivery ecosystem, is moving swiftly to tender having overcome legal hurdles of its own.
Dublin’s status as an international hub is being reinforced through interventions supporting our international connectivity and trading capacity. Government will publish legislation to decisively address the outdated passenger cap at Dublin Airport. Meanwhile, Dublin Port’s third and final masterplan, the 3FM project, has been submitted to An Coimisiún Pleanála, expanding port capacity while bolstering climate resilience.
Meaningful investments in our underpinning infrastructure through the National Development Plan and complementary private investment are laying the groundwork for enterprise expansion and are a necessary step in closing our housing deficit. Projects have afforded the business community the chance shape pre-design phases to ensure smooth operability once rolled out. These consultation processes across BusConnects, MetroLink and EirGrid’s PoweringUp Dublin have led to highly innovative solutions, such as micro-tunnelling technology used in the delivery of grid upgrades to minimise disruption.
Greater coordination between infrastructure providers will be paramount. Localised examples, such as the EirGrid Dublin Infrastructure Forum, prevent projects from being paralysed by procedural delays and champion open communication channels between statutory undertakers, seen nationally through the Joint Utilities & Transport Clearing House (JUTCH). Step by step, we are replacing a system of delay with one of forward-planning, ensuring Dublin remains a globally competitive, resilient and thriving European capital.
Transport & Infrastructure Policy Executive at Ibec.
