Jack Chambers
Dublin West · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“We have been clear about the absolute necessity to protect the huge ecosystem of digital and infrastructure investment in Ireland over the past ten to 20 years. Part of that has been the wider and ongoing discussion on the security of subsea cables.”
“Progress in achieving balanced regional development and detailing the delivery of the NDP is monitored through regular updates on the capital investment tracker and the MyProjectIreland interactive map viewer.”
“The tax strategy group examines the different options that are available to the Government during the summer. That informs the respective tax package that will advance. We have to honest about the measures we take in terms of taxation. They have to be sustainable and affordable in the long term. USC brings in about €5.5 billion per year.”
“I am not privy to the interaction the Deputy had with the Minister for housing on this, but the Local Government Fund distributes the respective funding across different local authorities, and Galway County Council and Galway City Council would receive allocations through that. I was clear in my initial response to Deputy O'Hara.”
“My Department has taken a proactive and co-ordinated approach to supporting the responsible and effective adoption of AI across the public service.”
“More broadly, the achievement of balanced regional development is a key priority of this Government and is at the heart of Project Ireland 2040, which includes the national planning framework, which sets out the wider spatial strategy for the next 20 years, along with the national development plan, NDP.”
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“As the Deputy knows, given its remit, the wider work of the NSSO is done independently of me. I am not aware of who the current or former Ministers are. The NSSO is trying to progress the remaining number. They all should and must enter into a repayment plan. The NSSO said that the latest correspondence has issued this month. There needs to be full repayment, and I have said that consistently. All current Ministers and Ministers of State have entered into a repayment plan or have fully repaid it, or have been repaid themselves where there was an over-deduction in certain instances. It is important that the remaining number of former Ministers and Ministers of State enter into a repayment plan. I know the NSSO is determined to do that.”
“These matters related to pension and ASC contributions and, in cases such as these, the NSSO adopts a consistent process of engagement to ensure the moneys owed are recovered. The NSSO works with each individual to address the error identified. An independent external audit of the NSSO retirement and pension processes is being overseen by the chair of the advisory board of the NSSO, and I have been told it is nearing completion.”
“The review identified 82 individuals where there was an under-deduction or over-deduction of pension and-or additional superannuation contribution. The NSSO has reached agreement with all current Ministers and Ministers of State in relation to payment of pension contributions due. Agreement has also been reached with the majority of former Ministers and other officeholders impacted by the review. The NSSO is fully committed to ensuring that all moneys owed to the State are fully recouped, with 83% of the moneys owed now paid or in an agreed recoupment plan. It has informed me that there are a small number of outstanding cases where those impacted have yet to commit to a recoupment plan. Engagement is ongoing, with the latest correspondence issued from the NSSO this month.”
“The National Shared Services Office, NSSO, a body under the aegis of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, provides HR, pension, payroll and finance shared services to Government Departments and offices. As part of its remit, it transacts HR, payroll, pension and finance administration for public and civil servants on behalf of 54 client public service bodies. In relation to pension and additional superannuation contribution, ASC, contributions for Ministers, Ministers of State, former Ministers and officeholders, a review into the application of the relevant pension schemes and additional superannuation contribution rates was carried out by the NSSO.”
“All the attendees at the conference are published on the Bilderberg website, as is the specific agenda across many topics. As I have said it was AI, Arctic security, digital finance, energy diversification, Europe, global trade and the Middle East. It is attended by public representatives - members of government - from parts of Europe and the US, industry leaders and also by members of the media. The wider organisation's meeting agenda, respective press releases and what is discussed are set out. It has been attended by many members of Irish Governments in the past. As I said, it is important, as an open, trading economy that we engage with business leaders and members of government from across the world. It provides an important forum to do that.”
“The Deputy and her party fully understand, in the context of the party's participation in the Executive in the North, the importance of international engagement, foreign direct investment and engagement with the business community. As I said, the role in the context of the attendance at Bilderberg and meeting the US Chamber of Commerce is always to promote Ireland, to engage with many people who invest here and also political leaders in Europe and elsewhere. It is important, as an open, trading economy that we do that. I fully participated in the Cabinet meeting held on Sunday which obviously had advanced the discussions relating to our response and the important interventions we made. The Deputy's approach here, in undermining international engagement, is not fair.”
“Both engagements and events provide an important opportunity to engage with the international political and business community on Ireland’s foreign direct investment potential. IDA Ireland reported that in 2025 a record 323 investments, which was a 38% increase over 2024, were achieved and this is expected to create over 15,300 new jobs. Total employment in IDA-supported firms reached a new high of over 312,400 people last year. This underscores the economic value of FDI and engagement with the international community. There is additional information about the event on the official Bilderberg website, which includes information on the organisation’s history, governance, steering committee, meetings, agendas, attendees and press releases.”
“I thank Deputy Farrell. The annual Bilderberg conference is a forum to foster dialogue between Europe and North America on major issues facing the world, with attendees from industry, finance, government, academia and the media. The meeting was first held in 1954 and has been regularly attended by Irish Government Ministers on many occasions in recent years. I was invited and attended this year’s event, held in April 2026, in my capacity as Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. This year’s meeting was held in Washington DC and the agenda included a variety of topics such as AI, Arctic security, digital finance, energy diversification, Europe, global trade and the Middle East. While in Washington I also met the US Chamber of Commerce.”
“Looking for just additionality in the context of a current expenditure track for a particular policy area does not allow for an overall better evaluation of how we can get more for the current base of spend. That is how we have changed how we have approached overall expenditure policy. We are looking at the total expenditure rather than just looking at ELS and adding more. In the medium term that will improve the overall sustainability of our expenditure-----”
“What we did very seriously in budget 2026 is ensure most Government Departments are within profile and that their allocation is successfully delivering across what was set out in the budgetary context. The issue with what the Deputy has presented is just taking ELS as it is today and saying you are going to add more avoids the need to drive efficiencies within the current base of spending and the need to drive reforms within the current base of spending so we improve the qualitative outputs that come from that. By just looking at-----”
“There is a need in that Department, and indeed in other Departments, to focus on how we can improve the overall outputs, efficiencies and reforms in the context of the growth in spending in the last five years so we can achieve our overall ambition and objective, which is to moderate current expenditure so we can have the fiscal space to ramp up investment in infrastructure.”
“We take everything the council says seriously in the context of its independent role. I am also conscious of what it says on the medium- to long-term horizon about how we manage overall expenditure to ensure it is on a safe and sustainable path. I do not think the council is arguing for a much bigger overall allocation. The Deputy is giving one side and reflecting one side in that context. On the Department of education, the allocation going into 2026 was a 10% allocation, which was far in excess of the overall expenditure growth rate, because of the need to respond to the specific necessities around education within our society, and Government prioritised that over other areas. When it comes to the Department of Health, it is on the back of exponential growth in health expenditure in recent years.”
“The distribution of the levy has been designed to protect certain areas, which are the social protection Vote group non-pay allocation, Department of Health pay allocation, the specialist disability services subhead in the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, the Justice, Home affairs and Migration group pay, Housing, Local Government and Heritage group non-pay and pension funding across all Votes. My Department wrote to Secretaries General following the Government decision, informing them of the need to identify efficiencies and reforms, and that this would form a key element of the Estimates engagement for budget 2027. Each Department will now have to determine how the levy will be applied across the Vote group and identify the efficiencies and reforms required to ensure this.”
“To accommodate this reprioritisation and deliver on the 2027 ceiling agreed under the plan, a levy has been introduced across other Departments, which have been asked to deliver efficiencies and reforms totalling €446 million from 2027. This should be considered through the lens of an overall uplift of €7 billion for expenditure in 2027 and will not impact 2026 allocations. The delivery of reforms and efficiencies supports adherence to the expenditure ceilings set out in our plan. It reflects the need to moderate the rate of expenditure growth across Departments to facilitate the decision to reprioritise and provide additional investment to the education sector within our wider fiscal framework out to 2030. The scale of the efficiencies to be found ranges from 0.02% to 1.4% on the 2026 current funding across all other Vote groups.”
“The Government agreed a medium-term fiscal structural plan in December last year. This sets out expenditure ceilings for the period to 2030. It provides significant uplifts in expenditure over the coming years, with gross voted spending to reach €147.3 billion in 2030. As set out in the plan, the ceiling for 2027 will increase to €125.5 billion. This is an uplift of €7 billion over the 2026 expenditure ceiling of €118.5 billion. Delivery of the plan over the medium-term horizon will require enhanced expenditure control, reducing and avoiding in-year decisions with carryover costs for subsequent years and robust oversight mechanisms. In April, Government agreed that additional funding of €646 million will be provided to the Department of Education and Youth in 2026.”
“In the context of the efficiency levy, it is important that all Government Departments, in as much as they are looking for more, also drive a greater focus on efficiencies and reforms. That is what we are seeking to do across government and that is why we are doing it in a context of the levy we have introduced.”
“The Deputy is misrepresenting what that is. It is independent research and analysis to advance the objectives set out in the accelerating infrastructure report where there are three or four recommendations or actions in respect of driving public acceptance of infrastructure in the country. It is important because that is an issue across communities where people have concerns. It is about how we build better public acceptance of that. They are doing a piece of work in that context. When you take a €275 billion infrastructure plan over ten years, it is important that we implement those recommendations and actions in the context of the evidence base being built out.”
“That is within a new and agreed fiscal framework. In the context of budget 2027 we will engage with the Departments through the Estimates process. However, each of them has an objective now to drive those efficiencies across these respective areas.”
“I am happy to respond to the question on education that was raised at the budgetary oversight committee too. First, it is being done in the context of the Estimates process for budget 2027. Transport is at 1.4%. Housing is at 0.1% and justice is at 0.7%. We have specifically provided a carve-out for housing for obvious reasons and similarly for justice pay so we do not affect front-line areas. This is obviously in the context of a growing budget. I see this differently, through the lens of driving efficiencies, advancing reforms and enhancing productivity across these areas of public expenditure. I think we can improve outputs in the context of an efficiency and expenditure levy. New priorities emerge in the context of expenditure and that is why we were right to provide that additional funding to the Department of education.”
“In April, Government agreed that additional funding of €646 million will be provided to the Department of Education and Youth in 2026. To accommodate this reprioritisation and to deliver on the 2027 ceiling agreed under the medium-term fiscal plan, other Departments have been asked to deliver a levy focusing on efficiencies and reforms, which will total €446 million from 2027. This should be considered through the lens of an overall uplift of €7 billion for expenditure in 2027. It will not impact the 2026 allocations. The delivery of reforms and efficiencies supports adherence-----”
“The public expenditure group comprises eight Votes, which are my Department, superannuation and retired allowances, the Office of Public Works, the State Laboratory, secret service, Public Appointments Service, shared services office and the Office of the Ombudsman. None of these were over profile at the end of April. Ensuring that public money is spent efficiently and that taxpayers see clear outputs and outcomes from public spending is a core priority for my Department and for Government. The Government agreed a medium-term fiscal structural plan in December last year. It sets out expenditure ceilings to 2030 and provides significant uplifts in expenditure over the coming years, with gross voted spending to reach €147.3 billion by 2030.”
“The latest fiscal monitor published on 6 May showed that the end of April gross voted expenditure amounted to €36 billion. This is a €2.9 billion or 8.9% increase compared with April 2025 and reflects the implementation of the priorities set out in budget 2026, and the significant uplift in expenditure to support programme for Government commitments. Compared with the profiles set out by Departments for their planned spending over the year, this was €0.6 billion or 1.8% below profile. For my Department’s Vote, end of April gross expenditure of €593 million was €39 million or 6.2% behind the profile set out.”
“In the years to come, I have no doubt that this legislation will be seen as a singular intervention made to address our infrastructure deficit by providing the legal framework for unlocking the acceleration of delivery of the projects and programmes that are critical for our economic and social prosperity. I am thankful for and value all of the contributions which were made and which I take seriously. We will have better engagement on Committee and Report Stages in the coming weeks.”
“Without adequate water and electricity supplies, our ability to build enough homes for our population will be restricted. An inability to provide secure, affordable and decarbonised energy supplies has an impact when it comes to energy poverty, competitiveness, jobs and our ability to deliver on climate targets. Inadequate transport infrastructure means more congestion on our roads, higher bills and more time spent in cars by so many commuters. The focus on transport, energy and water projects and programmes outlined in the Bill will provide us with a launch pad from which to proceed in order to address all of the country's other infrastructure needs.”
“That is what we are doing here. The approach taken in the Bill has been shaped by our wider engagement across the economy. Providing clarity in respect of what is a priority and by requiring and empowering public bodies to expedite their decision-making, we will achieve significantly quicker progress on the identified projects. We have not decided what the projects will be, but they are self-evident in the context of what EirGrid, the ESB and Irish Water are trying to do. Many of them are critical projects which, in some instances, are holding back the delivery housing supply and hampering wider economic and industrial development. Everyone in this House knows that we need more housing. We also need more transport infrastructure. We need more renewable energy meet our climate targets.”
“Its purpose is to remove some of the barriers identified during the consultation process. It is a central pillar of the Government's broader infrastructure acceleration agenda, fast-tracking strategically important projects deemed essential to the wider social and economic development of the State. In that context, I say to people that we need to have legal reform and rebalancing of legislation and that blaming resourcing, on the one hand, and ignoring the evidence base, on the other, is not good legislative input. We have to be honest about the need to engage in making reforms in the context of the existing challenges and constraints we face. Too often, the simplistic response in these Houses and elsewhere is to blame resource or staffing allocation when, in fact, underpinning systems need reform or legislation requires change.”
“I have to strike a balance between the base of legislation and the need to deliver and get things done. I welcome the wide request for urgency in this House on driving delivery. We are at a critical juncture. We face an infrastructure shortfall. Without decisive reform, the gap in this regard will only widen. The report and action plan published last December provide us with the blueprint for unblocking the barriers to delivery. The actions set out in the plan have been designed in consultation with the task force, which continues to provide strategic guidance and expert input. The task force worked with my officials to identify the barriers to infrastructure and the solutions needed to overcome them. We carried out extensive consultation last year. The Bill is a key action set out in the plan.”
“However, where we can avoid creating unnecessary or duplicate triggers for litigation in the project development process, we should intervene. The accelerating infrastructure task force report set out the need to rapidly respond to legal precedent. We have a Supreme Court judgment interpreting section 15 that is problematic. We have to confront that in how we legislate, how we legislatively interpret section 15 and how this will affect the future infrastructure needs of our country. We are doing the right thing in disapplying section 15 in that context. Climate and environmental assessments will still need to be carried out as part of the project development process. We are just closing off the opportunity for judicial reviews in certain instances by those who just want to delay projects.”
“-----members of the legal profession and NGOs matters which they, in turn, bring to the courts for decision. We have priorities that we have set out in the national development plan. We want to see these delivered for the communities that we all represent. Of course, all planning permissions and permits will be subject to the processes that are set. Let us not give another avenue to people to take more judicial reviews and delay matters further. To be absolutely clear, judicial reviews are an important tool. They ensure that the decisions made by public bodies when they are carrying out their functions are transparent, fair and accountable and adhere to the principles of legality, procedural propriety and rationality.”
“I disagree with some of the remarks relating to the climate Act. I am strongly of the view that the disapplication of section 15 is necessary in order to accelerate the provision of critical infrastructure in the country. Leaving such projects open to a subjective determination of whether a public body has adequate regard to a range of climate policies and strategies only opens another potential avenue for judicial review and hence delay. I ask the people who are asking me to provide urgency, speed and delivery to stop outsourcing to the big cottage industry that has built up among----”
“As such, it does not exclude the potential for other infrastructure to be designated as critical. The Government has flexibility in this regard in terms of healthcare and other areas. I intend to commence the process of identifying projects and programmes after the Bill is enacted. While I will make a recommendation to the Government, the final decision will be for the Government to make. We had a lot of commentary around pre-legislative scrutiny. There is a need for scrutiny, on the one hand, and urgency, on the other. There is a need to drive urgency and make progress. That is why the accelerating infrastructure task force has reached a broad consensus around speed, reform and much better co-ordination across the State. That is essentially what we are seeking to do with the Bill.”
“We have tried to reference three critical areas which are the foundations of every community and local economy and that are all geared towards a better national economy in terms of transport facilities, including ports and airports, and transport systems, including roads and railways, energy generation, transmission and distribution systems and water supply, wastewater and waste management systems. We referenced these three areas because they are the categories of infrastructure that underpin the provision of all other infrastructure, whether economic or social. Some have mentioned the needs of other areas in the context of the legislation. While it does not exclude the potential for other areas to be covered, the Bill does state that infrastructure includes, but is not limited to, those areas.”
“We had a lot of contributions, many of which referenced specific local projects. The Bill does not reference specific projects or programmes. Rather, it provides the Government with the power to designate programmes or projects following my written recommendation. It is important that we have a process that allows for the development of critical and national infrastructure. The prioritisation that will emerge from this legislation in the context of delivering things at speed will drive prioritisation in circumstances where we will not be able to allocate or designate everything.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis na Seanadóirí as an díospóireacht inniu. I thank Senators for their contributions to the debate and their engagement on the Bill. As I have said on a number of occasions, my priority is the acceleration of the delivery of critical infrastructure that the country needs and deserves. We all want to see speedy delivery of key projects and programmes that are critical to our economy's and our society's continued development and resilience. This legislation will play a key role in facilitating that. It sends a clear signal and direction across government and to delivery agencies and shows the wider public that we are stepping up to the plate to deliver a much-needed critical infrastructure. I appreciate the views that have been expressed this evening and the broad consensus on the need for reform.”
“Only by moving together across all fronts can the required scale of transformation be achieved. The Bill represents the fulfilment of one of the key early actions set out in the plan and will provide the necessary framework for the transformation of the delivery of those projects and programmes that are designated as critical to the social and economic development of the State. I look forward to engaging with the House as we debate this key legislation in the coming weeks. I commend the Bill to the House.”
“Section 9 is a standard provision that allows for any expenses incurred in the administration of this Bill when enacted to be paid out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas. Finally, section 10 deals with the Short Title and commencement of the Act. I plan to commence the Act as soon as is practicable after the approval of the Oireachtas and its signature by the President. I referred to this Bill in the Dáil as ambitious, and it is. We need to be ambitious in our reforms if we are to address this country's infrastructure deficit. We need to use all the tools at our disposal to drive the system of delivery forward. We need to implement all 30 actions identified in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, mitigating the 12 barriers to infrastructure delivery identified through my Department’s extensive stakeholder engagement.”
“Removing the application of section 15 to the duties of public bodies in relation to designated projects or programmes will, I believe, lead to a better balance in decision-making that will lead to accelerated infrastructure while preserving the rights of the public to access the courts on the legality of the decisions of public bodies. Section 8 provides for the power for the Minister for public expenditure to prescribe a person or body to be a public body for the purposes of the legislation. The rationale for this provision is to make sure that additional public bodies can be prescribed in the event of any other legal change that might mean a body has a function in relation to a designated project or programme but is not captured within the definitions already applied.”
“Section 15 of the climate Act and the courts' recent interpretation of this section, effectively establishes an extra barrier to infrastructure by creating a new avenue for judicial review. This avenue is whether a public body has had adequate regard to a range of climate policies and strategies in its consideration of any development proposal. Leaving it to the courts to determine whether every public body in the approval process has had sufficient regard to the climate characteristics of each individual infrastructure development is a departure from the intended operation of the climate Act where emissions targets are to achieved at a sectoral level.”
“I cannot use a direction to circumvent other legislation or to determine a decision. In addition, I am required to consult with the Minister responsible for the public body in question before any directions are issued. These directions may require the provision of information on the measures that the public body has adopted and the outcome of these actions. The provision also allows for a direction to be issued requiring a public body to adopt such measures as may be deemed necessary for the purposes of carrying out its duties. Section 7 disapplies section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act from designated projects and programmes. I do not make this change lightly.”
“Instead, it provides the framework for the Government to signal the small number of projects or programmes that are considered most vital to the public interest and mandates that public bodies need to accelerate their decision-making processes with regard to these projects and programmes. Section 6 of the Bill allows the Minister for public expenditure to issue directions to any relevant public bodies. This is an important safeguard that will allow me or any subsequent successor to intervene in circumstances where a public body is not effectively implementing this legislation. It is unlikely that this power will be exercised frequently but if it is exercised, it will only be a direction for the purposes of the public body carrying out its functions under section 5.”
“Relevant public bodies must also reduce the time required for any decision in relation to a project or programme and make every effort to parallel its processes with the authorisations that may be required by other public bodies. Next, they are required to co-ordinate, prioritise and sequence their functions with any other public bodies and to manage risks and constraints. Finally, a public body must allocate its resources appropriately to fulfil its duties under this legislation. An important point to emphasise is that this Bill does not seek to determine or influence the decisions that public bodies will ultimately reach.”
“It is intended to capture all public bodies that have a role in the authorisation of critical infrastructure projects or programmes and defines their functions as being those functions that relate to critical infrastructure. Central to the Bill is section 5, which sets out the six core duties that relevant public bodies will be required to carry out in respect of critical infrastructure. Public bodies will be required to prioritise any functions they must perform in relation to designated critical infrastructure projects or programmes above their other duties. They must also take the necessary steps to accelerate their consideration of the designated project or programme and avoid any undue delays.”
“This section also lists those factors that the Minister for public expenditure may have regard to in making a recommendation to the Government. It also provides for democratic accountability by allowing the Dáil to annul any order laid before it designating a project or programme. I intend to commence the process of identifying projects and programmes for recommendation to Government after the Critical Infrastructure Bill is enacted. My focus will be on recommending those projects or programmes that facilitate critical infrastructure across the energy, transport and water sectors with a particular focus on infrastructure that will support housing but the legislation does not preclude other infrastructure types being designated. Section 4 of the Bill defines who the legislation will apply to and what their relevant functions are.”
“Section 2 notes that nothing in this Bill will affect existing or future obligations of the State under European Union law or existing or future entitlements of the State or any person under European law. This is included to demonstrate that the Bill will not interfere in any way with our EU commitments, whether these are on our climate change targets or environmental protection more broadly. Section 3 of the Bill deals with how projects or programmes will be designated as critical infrastructure. In summary, the Minister for public expenditure will make a recommendation to the Government in respect of an individual project or programme. The Government will consider the recommendation and, if approved, an order designating a project or programme as critical infrastructure will be laid before the Dáil.”
“It defines a "project" as something the purpose of which is the delivery of infrastructure, and is funded by capital investment, by or on behalf of the State or by or on behalf of a public body. A "programme" is a collection of two or more projects that are intended to achieve a common purpose. It is worth noting the limitation of this definition to by or on behalf of the State or a public body. This demonstrates that the Bill is solely targeted at State infrastructure. This section also defines an "authorisation” as an award, approval, decision, licence, consent, permit or other authority required, granted or made, by or under an enactment or otherwise, to enable a project or programme to proceed, in whole or in part.”
“Turning to the specifics of the Critical Infrastructure Bill, I will now outline the various provisions in the Bill and explain the key features of each section. Section 1 of the Bill is the interpretation. It addresses the definitions of some of the key terms used in the Bill. In this section, the Bill provides that "infrastructure" is anything that enables the essential facilities and systems of the State to function effectively and includes, but is not limited to, transport facilities, including ports and airports, and transport systems, including roads and railways; energy generation, transmission and distribution systems; and water supply, wastewater and waste management systems.”
“The Bill forms a key pillar of the Government's broader infrastructure acceleration agenda, signalling a significant shift toward fast-tracking strategically important projects deemed essential to the State's economic and social development. It is worth noting, however, that the Bill is just one element of the Government's overall plan to accelerate infrastructure. The report published last December sets out a series of 30 actions and related sub-actions under four key areas to speed up the delivery of critical infrastructure. Most of these actions are to be delivered in 2026 with my Department taking the lead. Each action has a clear timeline for delivery and key performance indicators, KPIs, to assess its delivery and its impact on improved infrastructure.”
“The objective is to provide a clear signal and direction to the whole system that the projects and programmes that are designated as critical infrastructure under this Bill represent the country's key priorities and that the expectation is that all reasonable steps will be taken by public bodies, both individually and collectively, to move these projects and programmes forward as quickly as possible. It is intended that the focus will be on a small number of projects and programmes in the realms of transport, water and electricity infrastructure. These are the projects that release the potential for the delivery of all other infrastructure, whether economic or social.”
“I am pleased to be here this afternoon and to have the opportunity to present the Critical Infrastructure Bill to Seanad Éireann following its passing through the Dáil. I acknowledge the support that the Bill has received from the vast majority of parties in the Dáil and I look forward to hearing the contributions of Senators this afternoon. This Bill short - it has ten sections - but its length belies the potential it will release into the system to speed up the delivery of critical infrastructure in the State. What we are trying to do in bringing forward this legislation is to provide the statutory basis for the acceleration of decision-making around those projects and programmes that are considered to be critical infrastructure.”
“I move: That, notwithstanding Standing Order 222 of the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann relative to Public Business or the Resolutions of the Dáil of 17th December, 2025, 28th January, 2026 and 25th March, 2026 the following Further Revised Estimate for Public Services for the year ending 31st December, 2026, be presented to the Dáil and circulated to members on 13th May, 2026 being a date later than that prescribed for the presentation of Estimates: Vote 26 — Education and Youth.”