- Nine projects designated as critical national importance under the Critical Infrastructure Act.
- Projects include MetroLink, Galway City Ring Road, and Greater Dublin Drainage.
- The Act mandates public bodies to fast-track approvals and decision-making.
- TII CEO Lorcan O’Connor welcomed the designation.
- Friends of the Earth CEO Deirdre Duffy criticised the move.
The Government has designated nine major infrastructure projects as being of critical national importance under the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026, giving them priority status for faster processing and decision-making. The projects include Dublin’s MetroLink, the Galway City Ring Road, the Greater Dublin Drainage Project, and the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme.
The nine designated projects span three key areas of national importance:
Transport
- MetroLink: The planned high-capacity, high-frequency automatic underground rail line in Dublin.
- Cork area commuter rail programme: A major €1 billion rail expansion and modernization project across the Cork metropolitan area.
- Galway City Ring Road: A major infrastructure road network project designed to alleviate urban congestion.
Water
- Water Supply Project for the Eastern and Midlands Region: A strategic initiative aimed at securing long-term water needs for up to 50% of Ireland’s population.
- Greater Dublin Drainage Project: A regional wastewater project serving north Dublin and surrounding areas in Kildare and Meath
- Limerick (Bunlicky) Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade and Bioresource Centre: A massive plant modernization intended to support local population growth and commercial development.
Energy
- North South 400 kV Interconnector: A critical cross-border electricity grid project linking the power systems of Ireland.
- Moneypoint 400 kV Series Capacitor Project: An energy infrastructure reinforcement initiative based in County Laois.
- Letterkenny 110 kV Redevelopment Project: A major electrical substation grid upgrade scheme in County Donegal
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers stated the move demonstrates the Government’s commitment to break through inertia, slash project timelines and accelerate delivery.
The new legislation, enacted last month, mandates public bodies involved in authorising projects to fast-track specific schemes and take steps to reduce approval timeframes. Designated projects effectively go to the top of the queue for faster processing and decision-making. The Government stated the designation would speed up decisions without overriding existing legal requirements or dictating the outcome of planning processes. The nine projects include transport, water and energy infrastructure.
TII CEO Lorcan O’Connor welcomed the designation as a powerful vote of confidence in the projects’ potential to transform Ireland’s transport network. Friends of the Earth CEO Deirdre Duffy criticised the move, stating the use of the Critical Infrastructure Bill to disapply climate law for the Galway Ring Road sends a dangerous message.
Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, shared, “Designated projects effectively go to the top of the queue for faster processing and decision making by public bodies.”
Deirdre Duffy, CEO of Friends of the Earth Ireland, shared, “Using the Critical Infrastructure Bill to disapply climate law for the Galway Ring Road and infrastructure sends a dangerous message that our healthy environment is not a political priority.”
