Government approves general scheme of Critical Infrastructure Bill

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation,  Jack Chambers TD, this week secured Government approval for the General Scheme of the long awaited Critical Infrastructure Bill. 

The Bill, once enacted will allow Government, subject to Dáil approval, to designate specific infrastructure projects as critical. This would then oblige all State bodies involved in the approval process to cooperate and coordinate with each other. 

At its core this legislation is designed to speed up the approval process for major pieces of national infrastructure. For far too long critical infrastructure projects have been delayed.A delayed project imposes a cost on the entire economy and as delays mount the cost of the entire project escalates. 

The progress on this Bill follows the establishment last week of a Regulatory Simplification Unit by Minister Chambers.