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Infrastructure taskforce to speed up delivery

An Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce has been launched by Jack Chambers (Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform).

It will oversee the Department’s programme of reform to unblock barriers and accelerate infrastructure delivery.

Twelve members have been appointed – six independent experts experienced in infrastructure delivery, combined with six ex-officio members, from commercial semi-states.

Component

Minister Chambers said that the taskforce is a critical component in tackling barriers to the delivery of critical economic infrastructure.

“This critical infrastructure – water, electricity and transport – underpins and is necessary to achieve all of the social and economic goals we share, as well as supporting economic growth and enhancing our domestic and international competitiveness,” he said.

He said that Ireland must get better at building and delivering cost effective, value for money infrastructure.

Its remit will include:

• Providing strategic guidance and expert input to policy proposals to speed up infrastructure delivery,
• Providing guidance and advice to ensure that barriers to infrastructure delivery are identified accurately,
• Providing guidance and advice on a small number of high impact reform actions,
• Overseeing the subsequent implementation of these reform actions (supported by the Department’s Infrastructure Division).

Last month a new Infrastructure division was established in the Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform which includes infrastructure experts redeployed from key delivery agencies, such as ESB Networks, EirGrid, Uisce Eireann, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and An Bord Pleanála.