Metrolink and Cork commuter rail programme among fast-tracked projects

Hannah Kate Costello

Dublin's MetroLink, the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme, and the Galway ring road are among the projects that will be fast-tracked under new legislation due to come into effect today.

The Government will announce a list of nine projects to be fast-tracked under new legislation that prioritises critical infrastructure. It means public bodies building critical infrastructure projects will be immune from challenges on climate grounds.

The new law will prevent people from taking legal challenges against certain large projects on the grounds that they do not conform with existing obligations in climate legislation.

These include Dublin's MetroLink, the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme, and the Galway ring road.

Accelerating infrastructure delivery is a central priority for the Government this year, having been identified by an influential expert group last year.

Ministers and senior officials have said the slow pace of infrastructure delivery – with big projects often delayed for years by objections, inefficient planning and procurement, and legal challenges – is a significant barrier to the quicker provision of new housing.