Picture this: It’s 2025, and we’re planning infrastructure that won’t be completed until 2041. That’s the stark reality we’re facing in Ireland today, with timelines for critical water, energy and transport projects stretching to over 16 years from concept to completion – double what they were in the recent past.
I spent last Thursday at the National Infrastructure Summit, where industry leaders, policymakers, and experts gathered to tackle this pressing challenge. The message was clear: we need bold, decisive action to support the delivery of infrastructure our society desperately needs.
The balancing act: National interest vs individual concerns
A key theme throughout the Summit was the tension between individual interests and our collective national objectives and how these play out in planning decisions. When delivering high impact infrastructure, there comes a point where we must ask: are we allowing perfect to become the enemy of good?
The planning process alone now consumes eight years for major projects – half the total delivery timeline. With inflation in the construction sector running at 7% annually, these delays aren’t just inconvenient; they’re making essential infrastructure exponentially more expensive.
Renewable energy: A sea of opportunity (and challenges)
The discussions around offshore wind highlighted both enormous opportunities and significant hurdles. Rosslare, Waterford, and Cork Ports are identified as key development locations for supporting offshore wind infrastructure, with Cork Port planning €100 million in upgrades.
For delivery of offshore wind projects, clear spatial planning guidance was called for, together with comprehensive regional environmental studies. This would inform siting decisions, leading to stronger cases for projects to progress through planning, and ultimately more environmentally sound proposals which can withstand scrutiny by the public and An Bord Pleanála.
The fascinating legal case of Coolglass Wind Farm, Co. Laois was discussed as a test case and an illustration of the evolving landscape. When An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for this wind farm on the grounds that it would contravene County Development Plans, the High Court quashed the decision, citing obligations under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015.
This suggests a shifting balance where national climate objectives may increasingly outweigh local planning concerns.
The ‘mega-project’ dilemma
Dr Sean Sweeney, the Programme Director of Metrolink, shared particularly thought-provoking insights on ‘mega-projects’: nation-building endeavours that are, by their nature, fraught with uncertainty and risk.
As he pointed out, projects of this scale stress the country during implementation but make it materially better afterwards. We were reminded of the ‘Iron Law of Mega Projects’ – that 9 out of 10 such initiatives experience cost overruns, often up to 50% in real terms.
This isn’t unexpected, but it requires courage from both politicians and delivery teams to weather the inevitable criticism.
The case of Ard Na Crusha hydroelectric scheme was mentioned, which at the time cost the country 20% of its GDP in a time when Ireland did not have the financial reserves it has today. Metrolink can be built for roughly 5% of Ireland’s GDP at a time when public finances are in a far healthier state.
Sweeney emphasised that these projects are massive in their levels of risk, uncertainty and complexity – something that poses difficulties for politicians and when it comes to public scrutiny. However, it is flawed to think it possible to model and quantify all scenarios and impacts.
The case of the Luas is instructive: once described by the T.D., now Senator, Michael McDowell as “an expensive toy train set that will damage the city“, it’s now an essential part of Dublin’s transport network, with myriad benefits for economy and society.
Towards a shared vision
To build local acceptance of critical infrastructure projects, people need to know the answer to the questions of: Why this project? Why here? And, Why now?
These simple yet powerful questions are some we always try to answer at the kick-off stage of our public engagement projects.
The answer often stems back to questions of national interest and common good, while debate typically becomes hyper-focused on immediate local impacts.
To advance implementation of energy, water, and transport infrastructure at local level, we need to foster support for high-level policy goals. This isn’t about selling a vision pre-determined by distant policymakers and scientists but about involving diverse stakeholders in its development.
Participatory processes, education and debate must focus on what kind of society we need to create in response to pressing environmental challenges.
I am often reminded of the “think global, act local” concept, a guiding principle for addressing global challenges through local actions, often attributed to Scottish town planner and social activist Patrick Geddes.
If we can achieve common understanding on the magnitude of the crises we face and the solutions we need, debate can shift from “should we do this?” to “how best can we do this?”
This is a far more valuable space to operate in to glean meaningful information from public consultation processes that inform aspects of project design.
A way forward
Several key enablers were identified at the Summit, outlined below, and it is hoped that some of these will be addressed in the updated National Development Plan this July:
- – Multi-annual funding commitments,
- – Long-term certainty of policy commitment (10-year plans) so businesses can develop capacity to deliver projects.
- – Mechanisms to bring private investors into public-private partnerships.
- – Reform of planning processes to reduce objections and judicial reviews.
The infrastructure challenges facing Ireland aren’t just technical problems – they’re fundamentally about how we make decisions as a society.
Successful infrastructure delivery requires genuine community engagement, transparent processes, and a commitment to balancing diverse interests.
As a project management and strategic design consultancy, we see these challenges up close in our work every day and see them as opportunities to reimagine how we approach large-scale projects.
What’s clear is that we need to move beyond the bottlenecks and find new ways to accelerate delivery while still respecting democratic processes. Because the infrastructure decisions we make today will shape how we live, work, and interact for generations to come.
Dr. Ruth Doyle is a Director at M-CO, leading our Engagement Team.
Are you working on an infrastructure project that needs a fresh perspective? Get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.