{"id":211107,"date":"2025-12-02T09:10:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T09:10:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/211107\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T09:10:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T09:10:08","slug":"large-extensions-to-critical-infrastructure-should-be-exempted-from-seeking-planning-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/211107\/","title":{"rendered":"Large extensions to critical infrastructure \u2018should be exempted from seeking planning\u2019 \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Large extensions to critical infrastructure should be exempted from requiring planning permission, according to a report due to be presented to today\u2019s Cabinet meeting. <\/p>\n

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Jack Chambers<\/a> will brief colleagues on the proposed changes, which feature in the report of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce.<\/p>\n

The plan contains 30 actions aimed at speeding up the planning and delivery of major projects such as housing, roads, water treatment plants and energy substations. <\/p>\n

It also features proposals to reform the judicial review process, which Ministers have been sharply critical of as a reason for slowing down the delivery of key projects.<\/p>\n

Included in the plan is a proposal to amend legislation to allow large extensions to major pieces of infrastructure, such as substations, without the need for planning permission. <\/p>\n

Most of these developments can expand by 10 per cent under their existing permissions. The Government hopes this measure will reduce the need for entirely new planning processes. <\/p>\n

It will also recommend a \u201cbenefit realisation framework\u201d to outline to communities the societal value of particular projects. <\/p>\n

Another recommendation is for a mechanism whereby departments within Government will flag court rulings creating precedent to the Department of Public Expenditure<\/a> which, in turn, will be tasked with developing solutions in light of the findings. <\/p>\n

Minister for the Environment Darragh O\u2019Brien<\/a> will bring a memo on fee capping in environmental judicial review cases associated with the plan. <\/p>\n

Minister for Children Norma Foley is to bring forward a Bill placing the National Review Panel, which examines deaths of children in care and known to State services, on to a statutory footing. <\/p>\n

The panel not having such a footing has been criticised in recent months following cases where children who were known to State services went missing or died. The Bill will also update existing child protection legislation with the aim of improving co-operation across departments. <\/p>\n

Mr O\u2019Brien will also seek the priority drafting of legislation enabling the accelerated delivery of infrastructure for handling the State\u2019s liquefied natural gas reserve, which is to be located at Cahiracon, Co Clare. <\/p>\n

Minister for Culture Patrick O\u2019Donovan will outline plans for the National Famine Commemoration next year at Portumna Workhouse, Co Galway. <\/p>\n

He will also brief Ministers on preparations for the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, Co Limerick, with the Government backing the golf event with \u20ac56 million in funding. <\/p>\n

He will also present Coimis\u00edun na Me\u00e1n\u2019s statutory five-year funding review of RT\u00c9 and TG4. The Government is not being asked to consider new funding, but to formally respond to the review and confirm it will consider funding for 2027 in line with expected budgetary needs. <\/p>\n

Capital plans for the Departments of Justice and Further and Higher Education will be brought by their respective Ministers, Jim O\u2019Callaghan and James Lawless. <\/p>\n

Mr O\u2019Callaghan will outline how \u20ac2.18 billion will be spent expanding prison capacity, rolling out body-worn cameras and developing State-owned accommodation for asylum seekers. <\/p>\n

Mr Lawless will brief Cabinet on plans to spend \u20ac4.55 billion in tertiary education and research, expanding healthcare and veterinary education, and modernising campuses. .<\/p>\n

Mr Chambers will tell the Cabinet meeting about spending plans for the Office of Public Works, encompassing \u20ac1.8 billion for flood relief, estate management and preparations for Ireland\u2019s upcoming presidency of the European Union.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, the minimum salaries for general employment permits, critical skills permits and for meat processors, healthcare assistants, horticultural workers and home carers would increase in line with inflation under a proposal being brought to the meeting by Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Large extensions to critical infrastructure should be exempted from requiring planning permission, according to a report due to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":211108,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[9,10,2914,42426,18,13,14,6,19,17,26736,11,12,15,16,5,22481,55369,7,8],"class_list":{"0":"post-211107","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-breakingnews","10":"tag-darragh-o-brien","11":"tag-department-of-public-expenditure-and-reform","12":"tag-eire","13":"tag-featured-news","14":"tag-featurednews","15":"tag-headlines","16":"tag-ie","17":"tag-ireland","18":"tag-jack-chambers","19":"tag-latest-news","20":"tag-latestnews","21":"tag-main-news","22":"tag-mainnews","23":"tag-news","24":"tag-norma-foley","25":"tag-ryder-cup-2027","26":"tag-top-stories","27":"tag-topstories"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/115649198436035001","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/211108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}