Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-04
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Laura Harmon (LAB), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I welcome the Minister here today.
I will start by talking about Cork, which is the fastest growing city in Ireland, with a population that will increase by 50% by 2040. This will mean the need for the creation of at least 75,000 more jobs in Cork. There are over 600,000 people living in Cork, and two thirds of those are living within 25 km of the city centre. We are an education city. We have University College Cork, Munster Technological University and many other educational institutions, with a big student population in the city.
The delivery of housing is key, as is the energy and water infrastructure around it. There are many projects that need to be delivered when it comes to infrastructure for Cork. These include the M20 Cork to Limerick motorway, which we have been waiting on for 20 years; the M28; the N25 Carrigtohill to Midleton upgrade; the R624 Cobh road; and the northern distributor road. It is fair to say that congestion in places like the N40 and N28, and in areas such as Bishopstown in the morning, make them like car parks. We need to have proper infrastructure for the city.
The events centre, which has been promised for over a decade now, needs to be delivered for the city. Other projects include the new city library and, of course, the light rail system, which is under way and very welcome. However, the Labour Party has called for shovels in the ground by 2030. BusConnects has to be delivered upon, as does the Cork Airport project. Cork Airport's connectivity to the city is shocking. You would be hard pressed to get a bus, and the light rail system should also be going there.
In Cork, we say we are the real capital and the rebel city, but it is described as the second city and needs to be treated as such. We are not really seeing that in terms of investment outside of Dublin and balanced regional development. Cork is a beacon of the south and Munster more widely and it needs to be supported. Cork City Council is delivering on housing and needs to be supported in continuing to do that. I support comments from Deputy Séamus McGrath today regarding transport. He has called for an office to be set up, with Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Transport Authority, NTA, Bus Éireann and Irish Rail in one hub to deal with Cork and ensure we deliver on the promised infrastructure that is needed.
When I was a city councillor, I suggested there should be a board seat on the NTA for the CEO of Cork City Council. It is vital that Cork be prioritised.
The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has said there is a deficit of 80,000 construction workers in Ireland. We have seen a figure indicating our construction sector productivity is 30% below the EU average. Addressing this absolutely needs to be prioritised for those who live, work and study in Cork, but also the rest of the country. It also needs to be prioritised for employers. Construction sector productivity is key to attracting investment and new businesses in Cork and also across the rest of the country.
On the accelerating infrastructure plan, the Labour Party has been clear. It has welcomed it cautiously. We need to see it delivered on. It will be judged on its actual delivery. We welcome the streamlining of approvals for critical infrastructure projects and the fact that greater co-ordination is to be demanded across the public service on the delivery of infrastructure. We also welcome the duty of State bodies to co-operate in making land available and accessible for projects. The commitment to clear timelines is also positive. However, accountability will be key to success. The Labour Party will be holding the Government to account on the performance indicators.
The Labour Party has outlined concerns regarding the over-zealous focus on judicial reviews. Legal reforms may be a necessary part of a comprehensive process like that envisaged but the Government seems to view limits to judicial reviews as a panacea. Access to effective justice underpins our whole democracy. Judicial reviews should not be treated as a bogeyman, as they have been by the Government. The Law Society noted recently that the number of judicial reviews decreased by 25% in 2025. Where is the evidence for the approach the Government is taking?
The Labour Party has welcomed the plan, and the Opposition and Government need to work together to ensure it is delivered on in the best way for the country. We welcome the creation of a duty on State bodies to co-operate and the streamlining of approvals for critical infrastructure. The objective could be met by giving the LDA and other State agencies the power to compel State bodies to transfer land.
We need to see the national planning statement for critical infrastructure urgently because the current regulatory system, as it applies to infrastructure, is not fit for purpose. Ireland is a wealthy country at the minute and there is money in the coffers. It is important that we do not waste what has accrued from what has to an extent been a boom over the past ten years. We need to ensure there is something to show for it for the long-term development of the country. Infrastructure will be critical to this.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-04/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:43+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-04