Modern and functioning infrastructure is critical to the economy and society across the island of Ireland. It is vital to economic resilience and competitiveness, to the decarbonisation of our electricity grid and our transport networks, to building homes, and to the delivery of clean drinking water.
Ireland’s record on infrastructure
Ireland is capable of constructing high quality infrastructure, as can be seen from the successful completion of high-speed broadband connections, state of the art schools, roads and Dublin’s light rail Luas system. The commitment to the Luas project enhanced market confidence to develop and deliver new housing and amenities as the surrounding stops became attractive places to live due to the network’s connectivity. Between 2011 and 2022, the population within its catchment grew by from 21%-26% and 300,000 jobs within the Dublin Metropolitan Area are now within a 15-minute walk from a Luas stop. Luas commuters have added over €5 billion in Gross Value Added to the economy. In addition at least 10,000 new jobs in the services and technology sectors have located along Luas corridors in the lifetime of the Luas.
However, in other instances Ireland’s progress in delivering vital infrastructure has been impeded by under-investment during the financial crisis, as well as by constraints and delays in the approval, planning and procurement processes. Not only have these impacted Ireland’s ability to deliver projects vital for reaching economic, social and environmental targets, they have led to a negative perception of Ireland’s ability to deliver critical infrastructure. This in turn puts Ireland’s ability to attract and retain Foreign Direct Investment at risk, increases the cost to citizens and businesses, and results in poorer services, missed commercial opportunities and environmental degradation.
Planning for our future
Further sustained investment will be critical to Ireland’s success. The delivery of infrastructure is not an issue that can be reserved solely for the public sector and Government. Ireland’s revised National Development Plan commits a record €275.4 billion in public capital investment through 2035. Under this framework, the government has allocated over €102 billion specifically for the 2026–2030 sectoral capital allocations to heavily fund critical utilities, housing delivery, and transport. However, State funding must be augmented by private investment in infrastructure. Attracting this investment requires stronger national and international advocacy from government, businesses, and society to support a positive image of Ireland.
Commenting, Head of Public Policy Grant Sweetnam said:
“Public discourse around infrastructure must be characterised by ambition and confidence in Ireland’s ability to deliver projects. We as a country, a society and a business community have a collective interest in getting infrastructure right and we all, from the Government down, need to do a better job making the case for major pieces of infrastructure. The business community needs to stand up and be a passionate advocate for infrastructure projects.”
Throughout the lifecycle of infrastructure projects Chartered Accountants Ireland members play an enormous role both in the private sector and public sector. They undertake and assess detailed cost benefit analyses. They identify and quantify risk and examine ways to mitigate it. They provide strategic insight on the most commercially viable options.
The Institute’s position: share your perspectives
As part of our policy work Chartered Accountants Ireland is developing a formal position on infrastructure, with a particular focus on the need to mobilise sufficient finance to support delivery. This work aligns with the objectives of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce. To inform our approach, we have been engaging with stakeholders across business and wider society to gather insights that will shape a constructive, solutions-focused contribution on behalf of our 40,000 members. We welcome member perspectives. Please email: grant.sweetnam@charteredaccountants.ie or susan.rossney@charteredaccountants.ie to contribute.
Panel discussion event next week
We are also hosting a joint event with The British Irish Chamber of Commerce and Chartered Accountants Ireland with an expert panel discussion on Mobilising Private-Sector Investment in Infrastructure. Members are encouraged to register for the session on Tuesday morning 9 June from 8am–10am in Chartered Accountants House. The programme will include a panel discussion featuring Ashleen Feeney, Partner, KPMG Northern Ireland, Donal Murphy, Senior Investment Director, Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, James O'Reilly, Chief Executive Officer, Greenlink Interconnector Limited, Seamus Flynn, Managing Director Ireland/UK, Indaver and TJ Hunter, Managing Director, Perigus Energy.
Register here
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