Changes to the Infrastructure Guidelines to remove up to 20 weeks to the approval process for major projects

The Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform, and Digitalisation (DPER), Jack Chambers TD, today announced changes to procedures set out in the Infrastructure Guidelines which will remove up to 20 weeks to the approval process for major projects.

The procedures are being amended as part of Action 23 from the Accelerating Infrastructure Report, to remove a number of time consuming steps in the project development process.

This will accelerate projects through the consenting process and ensure capital infrastructure is delivered faster.

The updates relate to major projects, proposals in excess of €200 million, and are as follows:

• The External Assurance Process is no longer a requirement for major projects seeking government approval at Approval Gate 1. Instead, projects will be subject to a time-bound assessment by DPER to ensure compliance with all elements of the Infrastructure Guidelines, prior to going to the Major Projects Advisory Group for review.
• Major projects at Approval Gate 2 will no longer need Ministerial approval and may now be approved at this stage by the Accounting Officer of the Government department that is funding the proposed project. This removes an unnecessary step as Ministerial approval is required at Approval Gate 1 and Approval Gate 3 in the project development process. Ministerial approval will continue to be required at Approval Gate 1 and Approval Gate 3.
• The threshold for major projects will increase from €200 million to €500 million for major projects in the transport, water and energy sectors.

The Accelerating Infrastructure report, published in December 2025, sets out 30 time-bound actions to speed up the pace of infrastructure delivery. The updates to the Infrastructure Guidelines are one part of the wider changes being introduced including giving National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) support to sectors for project development, simplifying and streamlining planning and regulatory consents and added coordination to ensure alignment between projects, all targeted to get projects to construction faster than currently achieved.

Speaking today Minister Chambers said:

“There have been positive developments regarding infrastructure delivery in recent weeks including the commencement of the procurement processes for both the Metrolink and the Greater Dublin Drainage scheme.

“Now we need to build on this momentum. The changes today will cut on average 20 weeks from the project approval process to significantly speed up infrastructure delivery. I will be making further changes in the coming weeks including the publication of the Critical Infrastructure legislation which will enable specific projects in the national interest to be fast tracked through planning, licensing, and other consenting stages.

“These are radical and necessary actions I am implementing to transform how we deliver infrastructure in our country to benefit households, businesses and communities around the country.”

These changes are set out as part of the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan which sets out the following under Pillar 3:

• To embed strategic co-ordination across the infrastructure system, a suite of legislative, institutional and financial reforms will be implemented.
• These actions are designed to reduce fragmentation, align planning and funding, and create a more predictable, efficient pathway for delivering critical infrastructure.

Under this pillar, Action 23: Accelerating Projects through Consenting Process commits the government to:

• Streamline and speed up the project approvals process by amending the Infrastructure Guidelines, streamlining project approvals in the transport sector and reviewing the dual approval process for water sector investment.

Other recommendations from Action 23 will be addressed as part of a current review of Public Financial Procedures. These will include the issuing of guidance on timelines for preliminary business case preparation, together with mandating a maximum length.

A circular has issued from DPER confirming these changes.