Critical Infrastructure Bill 2026: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-06-16
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Victor Boyhan (IND), Agricultural Panel

I support this. Time limits are important. We just need to look at the children’s hospital to see what has gone on and on. I have no doubt it will go on and on more before the end of the year. It is about accountability and public money. Let us not fool ourselves. There is outrage among the general public about many projects - not all of them; some come in on budget and on time and that must always be acknowledged – due to the waste, the time lags, and the loose contracts and commitments about timelines for delivery paid for by public money. The Minister has special responsibility for this and is quite focused on seeking accountability from all the Departments, on the need to be agile and focused and on the need to keep tight rein on public expenditure. It is taxpayers' money and I think taxpayers expect that. Time and again over recent years, Minister after Minister has come out and made lame excuses over a number of projects which I will not list here but I could. The Minister knows what I am talking about. People just do not understand what is going on. Who are they accountable to? How has it got to this stage?
Earlier I welcomed the housing infrastructure investment announcements today. People expect infrastructure to be delivered on target and within budget. Timelines are critically important to that. We need to send out a strong message. This amendment seeks to include relevant time limits, within reason. To have projects going on and on is simply crazy. The children’s hospital is one example of where the public does not know how this major project has got out of the grasp of the politicians who are ultimately responsible for public expenses, value for money and critical infrastructure projects that are meant to be delivered in a co-ordinated, financially controlled and timely manner. I support the amendment.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-06-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:03+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-06-16