eolas magazine issue 78 by bmf business services

Informing Ireland’s decision-makers...

Accelerating infrastructure delivery Jacobs’ Mitch Tunikowski European

Claragh Mulhern,

European

Commissioner

Chief Planner at

Commissioner

Michael McGrath

DHLGH, discusses

Jessika Roswall

talks about

unlocking housing

outlines how

protecting rights in

and infrastructure

a changing Europe

member states can address

Issue 78

climate change Oct/Nov 2026

Justice • Planning • Public affairs

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eolas Issue 78 Oct/Nov 2026 Digital

Events

Publications

Deep disappointment… The Government is failing to capitalise on the significant momentum behind the Irish language. While Irish language media flourishes, interest in learning Irish grows, and attitudes towards the language become more positive, the Government is paring back its ambition for what Bunreacht na hÉireann designates as the first language of the State.

Editorial Owen McQuade, Managing Editor owen.mcquade@eolasmagazine.ie Ciaran Brennan, Deputy Editor ciaran.brennan@eolasmagazine.ie Joshua Murray joshua.murray@eolasmagazine.ie Gareth Hamill gareth.hamill@eolasmagazine.ie

Funding for the Gaeltacht, the Irish language, and the islands increased by only €2 million in Budget 2027. This contrasts with the €36 million increase seen the previous year. Furthermore, the 20-year Strategy for the Irish Language has evidently been abandoned, and the review of the first 10 language plans finds that there is “a language emergency in the Gaeltacht”. Additionally, the number of daily Irish speakers, the number of people living in the Gaeltacht that can speak Irish, and the proportion of people speaking Irish in Gaeltacht areas all fell between Census 2011 and Census 2022.

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Budget 2027’s allocation for Irish will be insufficient to address these problems. This puts the language at risk of further decline, exacerbating the significant challenges already facing Irish language and Gaeltacht

Events Lynda Millar lynda.millar@eolasmagazine.ie

organisations. While the situation is stark, the momentum behind the Irish language provides hope. Government must now match this momentum with ambition and action. Issue 78 of eolas Magazine features a cover story with Jacobs’ Mitch Tunikowski who discusses accelerating infrastructure delivery while our round table discussion, hosted by Salesforce, outlines how AI could transform public services. In our justice report, sponsored by EY, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath discusses protecting rights in a changing Europe. Our planning report features Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for

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Local Government and Planning John Cummins TD, who discusses fixing blockages in the planning system. The FSC® system provides an assurance

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Digital

Events

Publications

contents

04 08 31

Matters arising

Snapshot

Issues

Budget 2027: Record spending, little ambition

Cover story: Jacobs’ Mitch Tunikowski

Minister Darragh O’Brien TD: ‘Accelerating Ireland’s energy transition’

Round table discussion: AI pilots to public service transformation

Analysis: Stark north-south energy funding difference

Hosted by

Justice report 36

Commissioner Michael McGrath discusses protecting rights in a changing Europe

Maynooth University’s Ian Marder: ‘Research can help make Ireland the

Sponsored by

safest country in the world’ 44

Social Democrats Justice Spokesperson Gary Gannon TD discusses reforming the prison system

Analysis: New laws to tackle domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence introduced

118

Planning report 64

Minister of State John Cummins TD: ‘Planning should not become a barrier to delivery’

Chief Planner at DHLGH Claragh Mulhern on unlocking housing and infrastructure while

delivering on climate goals 76

Catherine Vilquin, president of the European Council of Spatial Planners, discusses accelerating the European transition to net zero

Analysis: Planning in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan

UCD’s Aura Luciana-Istrate outlines the role urban centres are to play in climate action

Scottish Government Chief Planner Fiona Simpson discusses delivering infrastructure and driving economic development while transitioning to net zero

101 Europe 102

Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience

101

and a Competitive Circular Economy, on protecting the European Environment 104

Analysis: The EU’s enlargement agenda

108

Seán Kelly MEP on Canada’s proposed EU associate membership

110 Public affairs 114

How violence is impacting politics

116

ICTU General Secretary Owen Reidy: 'Who is the AI transformation serving?'

118

Political platform: Sorca Clarke TD

120

Back page: Oisín Coghlan analyses what the removal of the Dublin Airport passenger cap means for the State’s climate goals

110

matters arising

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Donaldson sentenced to 15 years On 15 October 2026, disgraced former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson was sentenced to 15 years in prison for committing 18 acts of sexual abuse, including one count of rape, against two women when they were children between 1985 and 2008.

Victim B said: “What happened took away my ability to trust people and, in all honesty, I don’t think I really know what trust or love truly is. Nothing can ever change what was done to me. I wish it could.”

Donaldson was found guilty in June 2026 and was sent to Maghaberry Prison to which he returned after his sentencing. He was arrested in March 2024 after returning from Washington DC following the restoration of devolved government at Stormont after the PSNI received reports of his abuse from his victims.

A trial of the facts proved his wife, Eleanor Donaldson, aided and abetted five offences. She faces neither criminal convictions nor a custodial sentence. She will return to court in November 2026. It is understood both the Donaldsons have lodged appeals against their convictions.

Following the sentencing, Victim A said: “My childhood was stolen from me and I will never get it back. The effects of the Donaldsons’ actions have bled into every part of my life.”

Donaldson will only serve half his sentence in custody as his crimes took place before 2009. He is understood to be under investigation by English police over another alleged rape in 2016.

PROCUREMENT

New procurement strategy published The National Public Procurement Strategy for 2026-2030, published by DPER in August 2026, sets an aim to make the public procurement process more transparent and ensure greater participation from SMEs. The strategy aims to deliver “strategic, innovative, sustainable, and transparent public procurement that supports SMEs, competition, and better public services”. Firstly, it aims to embed value for money and consider wider societal, economic, and environmental outcomes alongside sound expenditure management.

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Secondly, it aims to drive a shift in mindset so that public procurement is used as a key policy tool and considered from the outset of policy formation. Thirdly, it aims to simplify the procurement system and make it easier to do business with government, particularly for startups, microenterprises, and social enterprises. Minister Jack Chambers TD says: “This strategy represents a significant step towards realising this government’s ambition to harness the spending power of the State as a strategic investment mechanism.”

matters arising

ENVIRONMENT

Delays to 64 Climate Action Plan legacy actions Out of 74 legacy actions contained in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Climate Action Plans, 64 are delayed, a report has found. Delayed actions including publication of a draft carbon framing framework and a roadmap to phase out fossil fuel heating systems in all buildings. Submission of the finalised Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation National Policy Framework to the European Commission was also delayed. Climate Action Plan Q1 and Q2 2026 Progress Report on Legacy Actions, published by the Department of the Taoiseach in July 2026, attributes delays to capacity constraints, funding, and procurement amongst others. It states that the need to wait

for developments in other national policies and actions, or EU legislation has caused delays. Ten legacy actions were delivered by the end of Q2 2026, including publication of the Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2026-2028: Accelerating Action. As of October 2026, Climate Action Plan 2026 is yet to be published. Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman TD says: “We had a series of climate action plans published annually so the Government could be held to account. That is the fundamental problem with the Government’s failure to publish the climate action plan for this year: it cannot be held to account.”

JUSTICE

Síofra O’Leary nominated to EU Court of Justice Former President of the European Court of Human Rights Síofra O’Leary was nominated for appointment as a judge of the EU Court of Justice by the Government in October 2026. O’Leary served as President of the European Court of Human Rights from November 2022 to July 2024, the first female to hold the role. She had previously served as a judge of the European Court of Human Rights since July 2015. The judge also worked at the EU Court of Justice in judicial and administrative roles for almost two decades.

Judges of the EU Court of Justice are appointed for a sixyear term by common accord of the Governments of member states under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Following O’Leary’s nomination, she will be presented to a panel established under the treaty which will provide an opinion on her suitability to perform her duties as a judge of the Court of Justice. Representatives from member states will then decide on her appointment. Ireland’s current appointee to the Court, Eugene Regan, is to conclude his second term of office on 6 October 2027.

eolas matters

matters arising

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Legacy legislation to facilitate cooperation The General Scheme of the Legacy of the Troubles Bill 2026, approved by cabinet in June 2026, intends to facilitate Irish authorities’ cooperation with “non-criminal legacy processes to be carried out by the Legacy Commission”. The Legacy Commission, to be established through the UK Government’s Northern Ireland Troubles Bill, is to replace the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The Irish Government’s Bill is to “empower” the Garda Commissioner to enter a cooperation agreement with the Commission. This is to facilitate the exchange of documentary materials required for fact-finding investigations and inquisitorial proceedings by the Commission, and family reports by An Garda Síochána. The Bill also provides for the establishment of the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval (the ICIR). It is to “assist

families to find answers about the deaths of their loved ones during the ‘Troubles’”. The Bill is yet to be presented to the Houses of the Oireachtas as its implementation depends on enactment of the UK Bill. In December 2023, the Government took legal action against the UK Government over the ‘Legacy Act’, which legislated for the ICRIR, on human rights grounds. In October 2026, the UK Government amended the Bill to protect former British Army officers from “rinse and repeat investigations”. Amendments removed the power from the Public Prosecution Service in the North to pursue cases from the conflict and hand them to the Attorney General of England and Wales. The SDLP and Sinn Féin have stated that this inserts “political interference” by the British Government into legacy mechanisms.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

FAI condemned for permitting Israel games An Oireachtas joint committee condemned the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) for permitting the Irish men’s football team’s UEFA Nations League fixtures against Israel to proceed in September and October 2026 in light of the Gaza Genocide. During the meeting, Social Democrats TD Daniel Ennis said: “What I have witnessed from the FAI has been nothing short of shambolic. It is driving me to hate the Football Association of Ireland.” Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne criticised the FAI for stating that the decision for players to bow their heads during Israel’s anthem and wear black armbands was “in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict”. Byrne said: “The witnesses need to get real. This is genocide and our football, our game, is being used to sportswash that.” 6

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FAI CEO David Courell said boycotting the fixture could have resulted in a points deduction and relegation to UEFA Nations League C with a combined financial loss of €10.3 million. He said it could also have resulted in Ireland’s removal from the tournament. The FAI has submitted a motion calling for Israel’s exclusion from UEFA competitions which has not progressed. Amnesty International has called on UEFA and FIFA to suspend the Israel Football Association (IFA) for permitting clubs based in illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory to play in its leagues. It says this violates FIFA’s statues, which bind UEFA, and violates international law.

Snapshot “Everyone needs to dial it down a bit.” Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD reacts to public service strike action

“There are no Fenian bastards. There are no second-class citizens. Only first-class citizens and first-class Fenians.” Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD on Garvaghy Road protests against Orange Order march

“I wouldn’t wish for any national team to go through what we have gone through these two weeks.” Ireland football manager Heimir Hallgrímsson speaking after leading his team through two controversial matches against Israel

“It’s gonna happen eventually, it might as well happen now.” US President Donald Trump on a united Ireland

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Budget 2027: Record spending, little ambition The Government’s attempts to balance public expenditure with housing delivery, climate ambitions, and support for working people have resulted in an uninspiring package which fails to have a significant impact in any of these areas. Gareth Hamill writes. Presented to the Dáil on 6 October 2026, Budget 2027 comes as the global economy experiences a sustained period of rising costs and high energy prices, driven by the US-Israel war in Iran. Describing his first budget as Minister for Finance, Simon Harris TD said: “No one budget can achieve all the things that a government wants, but it can set us on a path, a trajectory, a way forward. The path we are setting out here today is an optimistic one for Ireland.”

Fiscal outlook Budget 2027 provides a record package of €8.65 billion, comprising €7 billion in additional public spending and €1.65 billion in income tax changes. Total state expenditure for 2027 is set to reach €125.6 billion, up €7.1 billion on 2025.

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Despite the record spending, the general government surplus is forecast to be €9.5 billion in 2027. Although this is a strong monetary position, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) says Budget 2027 puts public finances on a “worse trajectory” by “repeatedly breaking established spending limits”. A sustainable limit of 5 per cent for spending increases net of tax measures, was set in 2021. However, governments have since budgeted for increases of 6 per cent before delivering an average of 10 per cent. IFAC calculates that if overruns continue at their current pace, expenditure could increase by almost 9 per cent in 2026. Ireland’s reliance on corporation tax receipts to fuel its surplus is another

cause for concern. The Department of Finance reports that almost half of corporation tax paid in 2025 came from just three multinationals, widely believed to be Apple, Microsoft, and Eli Lily. The Department estimates that potentially transitory corporation tax receipts, money which is taxed in Ireland related to activity abroad, will account for €22.9 billion of corporation tax in 2027. Excluding these receipts, the €9.5 billion headline surplus becomes an underlying deficit of €13.4 billion. Additionally, IFAC report that approximately six in every seven euros raised through corporation tax is being spent, largely on current expenditure measures. Although the Government is allocating €7.8 billion to long-term investment funds, IFAC argues that more of these receipts should be saved to meet future pressures and help the State weather the next recession.

Tax Budget 2027 contains several changes to the tax system, with a focus on income tax.

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“No one budget can achieve all the things that a government wants, but it can set us on a path, a trajectory, a way forward.” Simon Harris TD, Minister for Finance The threshold for entering the higher 40 per cent rate will rise by €2,500 to €46,500 while the personal tax credit, employee tax credit, and earned income tax credit will all increase by €125. These changes to income tax are the Budget’s most expensive measure, costing €1.48 billion to 2027. Additionally, Budget 2027 increases the upper threshold of the 2 per cent Universal Social Charge (USC) by €1,600, rising to €30,300. The benefits of these changes will mostly be felt by medium- and high-income earners, having little impact on lower earners. An individual earning €46,500 or more annually will save €766 in 2027, a €15 a week saving, while an individual on €40,000 will save €266 a year, €5 a week The increase in pay-related social insurance (PSRI) contributors’ rate by 0.15 per cent in October 2026 reduces these gains, leaving a person earning €40,000 only €206 better off in 2027, equivalent to €4 a week. Sinn Féin finance spokesperson, Pearse Doherty TD, has called the changes an “insult” to the over 1.5 million workers who will receive less than €250 in tax reductions. “Time and time again, this government leaves ordinary Irish people behind, those

who keep Ireland moving, those who work hard, and who are trying to build a life.” With the Consumer Price Index rising by 4.1 per cent between September 2025 and September 2026, weekly savings of between €4 and €15 will provide little relief to those who are struggling. The Budget’s second most expensive tax measure is the reduction in the standard capital gains tax rate from 33 per cent to 31 per cent, costing €186 million to 2027. Minister Harris says this change will “reward risk and facilitate the scaling-up of home-grown Irish firms”. Again, however, the benefits of this measure are likely to be concentrated on the wealthiest Irish citizens. Central Bank of Ireland data for Q1 2026 found that financial assets accounted for 21.3 per cent of the total assets of households in the wealthiest decile, compared to 4 per cent among those in the bottom five deciles.

Energy The Government has introduced measures to ease fuel and energy costs, but this has come at the expense of its climate ambitions. Temporary excise duty cuts on petrol and diesel, introduced in March 2026 in

response to rising prices arising from the US-lsrael war in Iran, will remain in place until February 2027 rather than being removed in November 2026 as planned. From March 2027, the approximately 27 cent and 32 cent per litre reductions in petrol and diesel respectively will be gradually phased out to June 2027. The extension of these cuts will cost of €450 million. The scheduled October 2026 increase in carbon tax on petrol and diesel has also been postponed, staying at €71 per tonne of CO2 rather than the planned €78.50. Increases are scheduled for May and October 2027 to maintain the trajectory towards €100 per tonne by 2030. More significantly, the carbon tax on kerosene and natural gas has been cut from €63.50 to €48.50 per tonne of CO2, reversing a planned increase to €78.50 by May 2027. The Government has also committed to freezing this rate until 2029. The tax would have gradually risen to encourage the use of alternative fuels and to fund investment in climate projects, such as retrofitting and transition supports. While this reversal offers some relief to people reliant on home heating oil and gas, it weakens the incentive to move away from fossil fuels and raises questions about the Government’s commitment to decarbonisation.

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Annual projected government balance, with and without potentially transitory corporation tax, 2025-2030

Source: Department of Finance.

The changes to the carbon tax will cost €25 million in 2026 and €177 million annually thereafter, totalling €556 million by 2029. The Government has not announced how it plans to recoup this loss, a concerning decision given the need to transition.

Budget 2027 does contain some targeted energy supports. The Fuel Allowance payment, which was used by around 465,000 people in 2025, is rising by €5 to €43 a week and the income threshold for the payment for single pensioners will increase from €534 to €641 a week.

Seemingly validating this concern, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s (SEAI) allocation for retrofitting is increasing by just €15 million (2 per cent) to €654.5 million in 2027, of which €647 million (97 per cent) comes from carbon tax receipts.

However, these are the Budget’s only targeted energy supports, despite calls from Labour and Sinn Féin for targeted energy credits of €400.

Housing

The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) has criticised the Budget’s broad-based energy supports, stating they “tend to be more costly to public finances than is strictly necessary”.

Despite the ongoing housing crisis, the Government is offering few groundbreaking measures to address its scale. Budget 2027 allocates €9.1 billion to housing, a slight increase on the over €9 billion assigned in 2025.

The ESRI has also been critical of the kerosene and gas carbon tax changes as it “reduces the incentive for households who can afford to decarbonise to do so”, adding that “targeted measures to support low-income households would maintain the incentive while protecting the most vulnerable groups”.

This includes €3 billion for the delivery of 11,250 new social homes, slightly more ambitious than the €2.9 billion allocated for 10,200 homes in 2025. However, this target remains below the annual average required to deliver the Government's target of 72,000 by 2030. A further €1 billion will support 15,000 new starter home supports in 2027 through the First Home, Affordable Purchase, Cost Rental, and Help to Buy schemes. Although this allocation is €200

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million lower than 2025, the target for affordable purchase and cost rental homes has doubled from 7,500. The maximum Help to Buy relief for firsttime buyers is also increasing by €5,000 to €35,000. Between July 2020 and July 2026, this scheme has approved 48,878 claims. Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne TD criticised this decision, saying it “will only drive up house prices even further”, adding that it may help eligible buyers assemble a deposit, but does little to address the underlying shortage of homes. Hearne was also critical of the decision to increase the Rent Tax credit by €150 to €1,150 for individuals and by €300 to €2,300 for couples saying this “meagre” increase “will not help renters”, and that it “will be more than gobbled up by rent increases next year”. He notes that the national average rent for new tenancies increased by 9.1 per cent year on year to Q2 2026, sitting at €1,839 per month in September 2026, according to the Residential Tenancies Board. The Government has allocated €563 million to homeless services, an increase of €30 million from 2025.

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“Time and time again, this government leaves ordinary Irish people behind, those who keep Ireland moving, those who work hard, and who are trying to build a life.” Pearse Doherty TD, Sinn Féin finance spokesperson

Labour housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan TD describes this as a “real terms” cut, saying: “Government have effectively cut essential support while introducing measures that will drive up prices and rents.” The Government’s most recent figures for August 2026 recorded 17,855 people as homeless, including 5,830 children. Since the previous budget in October 2025, the number of people in temporary accommodation has increased by around 1,100, a figure which includes around 500 children.

Infrastructure Infrastructure investment is one of the stronger elements of Budget 2027, with significant funding allocated for water and transport. Uisce Éireann will receive €1.468 billion in capital funding, a slight increase from the 2025 allocation of €1.4 billion. These funds are allocated for investment in water infrastructure, particularly in treatment plants, and for supporting the Accelerated Growth Programme to deliver infrastructure needed for housing development in priority settlements. More than 400 water projects are expected to progress in 2027, including the Greater Dublin Drainage Scheme and upgrades to treatment plants in Limerick and Waterford.

The Department of Transport will receive €4.175 billion in capital funding, a 21 per cent increase from 2025. The funds will support the delivery of public transport services projects including DART+ expansion, commuter rail in Cork, and MetroLink as well as major road projects across the State. In addition, a further €6 billion is allocated to MetroLink between 2027 and 2030, which is approaching the construction phase, following recent approval to proceed to market tender.

Welfare Budget 2027 contains several targeted welfare measures to support those who are most struggling with the cost of living. Weekly social welfare payments are increasing by €10, benefitting 1.6 million people, including pensioners, jobseekers, and people with disabilities. Additionally, the Living Alone Allowance will increase by €3 per week, benefiting approximately 260,000 people. The 238,000 people who receive longterm disability payments will receive a €500 payment, which will be followed by the development of a permanent payment from 2028.

The ESRI finds that Budget 2027 will deliver small income gains overall compared to a budget where tax and welfare measures kept pace with inflation but makes no difference compared with one linked to wage growth. It reports that the lowest-income households will gain more compared to higher income households but the €500 a year disability payment plays a large role in that, so will not be applicable to most. Despite the increases in the welfare measures for families, the ESRI finds that the Budget will “hold child poverty relatively constant” and that significantly more measures directed at children are necessary to achieve the Government’s target of 3 per cent or below for child consistent poverty. Ultimately, these measures’ lack of impact on the lives of those who most need support is a microcosm for the entire budget. While measures to help with cost-of-living pressures have been introduced, the Government’s lack of ambition, the untargeted nature of energy supports, and the nature of the tax changes mean that Budget 2027 is unlikely to provide much relief to people struggling across the State.

Families will also benefit from a €6 weekly increase in child support payments, while the income threshold for the Working Family Payment is increasing by €30 per week, helping almost 60,000 families.

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cover story

Accelerating infrastructure delivery Mitch Tunikowski, Senior Vice President, Head of Growth and Sales Europe at Jacobs, talks to eolas Magazine about how Jacobs is shaping infrastructure delivery, its ongoing projects in collaboration with its clients, and why this is a critical moment for infrastructure delivery.

cover story

Mitch Tunikowski begins by noting that Jacobs has been in Ireland for more than 50 years and traces how the business and its role in the market has evolved in his time at the company. “Ireland was Jacobs’ first office outside of the US. Now, it is one of the larger contributing businesses of the greater Jacobs family,” he says. “I joined Jacobs in the life sciences industry. In 2009, we diversified to expand our work in the public sector. Since then, we have grown significantly, and we are now one of the leading services providers for public infrastructure in Ireland.” The State has significant ambitions regarding infrastructure. The challenge, Tunikowski argues, is turning long-term plans into projects quickly enough to meet the State’s transport, housing, water, energy, and climate needs. Tunikowski highlights significant projects Jacobs has been involved in including the M17/M18 Gort to Tuam project. It replaced the N17 and N18, providing bypasses to improve connectivity and reduce traffic congestion in the western region. The project, which opened in November 2017, also improved access to Shannon Airport and Ireland West Airport at Knock. In September 2026, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) appointed Jacobs and AECOM as the programme delivery partner for MetroLink. The project aims to deliver high-capacity, high-frequency metro railway for Dublin. It is expected to run from Swords to Charlemont, connecting Dublin Airport with the city centre, Ballymun, and DCU along with major rail, Luas, and bus interchanges. Further plotting the evolution of Jacobs, he identifies the organisation’s expansion into the water sector as key. Jacobs has been working with Uisce Éireann to deliver the Greater Dublin Drainage Project (GDD) and the Eastern and Midlands Water Supply Project (WSP) since 2013.

“Most members of the public are unaware of the number of hugely significant infrastructure projects that are ongoing.” GDD aims to a deliver a new regional wastewater treatment facility and sludge hub centre at Clonshaugh, an underground orbital sewer from Blanchardstown to Clonshaugh, and an outfall pipe to return treated wastewater to a discharge point 6km out to sea. It is aimed at providing wastewater treatment for approximately 500,000 people in the Greater Dublin Area. WSP aims to bring treated water from the Parteen Basin to Peamount in Dublin to support the water supply needs of 50 per cent of the State’s population. MetroLink, WSP, and GDD are three of nine projects to be designated as critical infrastructure of strategic national importance under the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026.

A critical moment When asked what makes the present moment critical for infrastructure delivery, Tunikowski points to the State’s decarbonisation goals. He then states that there is a “need to offer alternative sources of transport en masse”. “That is why there are so many projects ongoing like Luas, DART+, BusConnects, and MetroLink to name a few. Ireland is becoming more mass transport-oriented which is a key focus of ours,” he says. Tunikowski also says infrastructure delivery is critical in continuing to attract FDI. He says: “Ireland has attracted many multinational companies and a significant amount of FDI over recent decades. You must continue to invest in infrastructure

to ensure you keep attracting that level of investment. “Improving transport systems, the power grid, housing, and water supply and sewage treatment is key to this. If you fail to provide this infrastructure, these companies will invest somewhere else.” Jacobs plays a key role in this delivery along with the National Transport Authority (NTA), Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), Iarnród Éireann, and Uisce Éireann. The organisation acts as a strategic advisor to the NTA on projects including the Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy and BusConnects. “With the NTA, we work in an advisory role to shape opportunities through design, delivery, procurement, and commissioning of sustainable, resilient infrastructure,” says Tunikowski. He adds that Jacobs advised the NTA on its input to the National Development Plan and is currently working with the transport body on the delivery of 12 bus corridors. He offers an insight into how buses may operate in the future: “Mass transit will have priority. There will be bus gates where buses, not cars, will be prioritised. Traffic light systems will be able to identify when buses are approaching. While cars will remain stopped at traffic lights, buses will be getting the green light.”

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Along with TII, Jacobs is working to deliver a Luas service in Cork city which is intended to enable growth, sustainable mobility, and long-term city planning. On Jacobs’ work with TII, Tunikowski says: “MetroLink is our flagship project with TII and we recognise it is a nationally significant infrastructure programme to be involved with over the next 10 years. “It is great to see how this project has evolved since it was first introduced as Metro North in 2005. It has changed a lot.” Jacobs is also working with Iarnród Éireann on the redevelopment of the Limerick-Limerick Junction route. Tunikowski says: “It has a significant opportunity to upscale and offer enhanced capacity of the rail network. That will be a massive key to unlock the growth of the rail network. “Most members of the public are unaware of the number of hugely significant infrastructure projects that are ongoing. For the size of this island, there are some mega infrastructure projects under way which is a fantastic opportunity to grow skills and

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employment in Ireland. Bringing in large contractors for this is great to see because this had diminished since the early 2000s.”

Planning Discussing the planning process behind such projects, Tunikowski celebrates the fact that BusConnects secured planning without the need for an oral hearing for the 12 bus corridors, something he says is “very rare for a large infrastructure project”. Continuing, Tunikowski says: “Current planning regulations do mean that it takes a long time to deliver major infrastructure. “Construction costs have experienced significant inflation since then. That impacts your budget for these projects. Decisions need to be made quicker, projects need to be advanced thoughtfully, and challenges to decisions need to be addressed along the way. “Taking the time to get early-stage design and planning right can improve the prospects for successful infrastructure

delivery. It gives owners a stronger basis for decisions and helps identify risks before they become harder or more costly to address. Conditions can still change, so projects also need timely decisions and the flexibility to adapt as challenges emerge.” When asked what can be learned from major infrastructure programmes in other countries, Tunikowski says: “Look at other programmes and the challenges they experienced, and do not repeat them. Making brave decisions upfront will minimise changes during construction. You do not want to be making changes during construction. The impact is huge.”

Climate Discussing the importance of building climate resilience into infrastructure, Tunikowski outlines the impacts of climate change he has observed since arriving in Ireland. “When I arrived here, rain was lowerintensity and persisted over a longer period of time. This is particularly evident over the last number of years and is contributing to more flooding.

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“We need to help communities understand the longer-term benefit these infrastructure schemes could bring, both for them and for Ireland.”

“We must ensure design standards stay ahead of changing weather patterns like this. Using AI, we can understand forecast patterns and design infrastructure to be resilient against that.” He states that effective planning can also reduce the impacts of climate change, adding: “We need to ensure we are engineering for the future. We also need to assess water reuse and capturing water more locally. Whatever we are designing for future generations must deliver an enhancement and not create a problem to solve.”

National Development Plan Tunikowski praises the National Development Plan as an enabler for critical infrastructure delivery. He says: “A lot of countries do not have that, so it is good to be able to see what the Government plans to do in the long term. It informs us early of the level of staffing and types of skills we will need in the future. “I see the National Development Plan as a set of binoculars. It allows us to prepare our future investments for infrastructure delivery. This enables transformation and continued growth.” Tunikowski indicates that he is encouraged by the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan (AIRAP). Identifying the need to speed up

infrastructure delivery, he points to the development of Dublin Port Tunnel: “It is a critical part of keeping Dublin going. “At the beginning, that received a significant amount of criticism from the public. But now, if the port tunnel is closed for maintenance, movement in Dublin stalls.” This leads Tunikowski to discuss how the public tends to perceive large infrastructure projects being delivered in the State. He says: “We need to help communities understand the longer-term benefit these infrastructure schemes could bring, both for them and for Ireland. “The National Development Plan and AIRAP can help people see what is planned and the outcomes it is intended to achieve, so people are prepared for what is coming and understand why it matters to their communities.” Concluding, he draws a parallel with MetroLink and notes the significant positives it is intended to unlock: “MetroLink will transform how people move around the city, connecting communities, workplaces, educational institutions, and transport hubs. I look forward to people experiencing the benefits it can bring to Dublin.”

About: Mitch Tunikowski Mitch Tunikowski is Senior Vice President and Head of Growth and Sales for Jacobs’ buildings and infrastructure business across Europe and the UK. He joined Jacobs in 2002 and has held leadership roles spanning project delivery, governance, sales, and operations across Ireland, the UK, continental Europe, and the Middle East.

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Accelerating Ireland’s energy transition Ireland must accelerate the delivery of renewable generation, grid infrastructure, and energy efficiency measures to reduce exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets, according to Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien TD. Minister O’Brien says that recent geopolitical events such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the US-Israel bombing of Iran have demonstrated the risks associated with Ireland’s continued dependence on imported fossil fuels, arguing that the energy transition has become both an environmental and economic imperative. While acknowledging the immediate pressure on households and businesses from energy costs, O’Brien says that energy efficiency and renewable generation are measures capable of providing longer-term resilience against future shocks. The Government has introduced a €750 million package of supports for productive sectors and vulnerable households, while significant resources are also being directed towards residential energy efficiency.

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Approximately 240,000 homes have now been retrofitted, with the Government targeting around 70,000 further retrofits in 2026. O’Brien highlights the introduction of the retrofitting passport, intended to allow households to undertake measures incrementally rather than waiting until they can complete a full deep retrofit. “Deep retrofit is very good and is where we want to get to, but any measures that can be taken to reduce energy consumption, to reduce emissions for households, and reduce bills for households and families is what we want to do,” he says. More than 50,000 applications for retrofit support were received during the first four months of the year, according to O’Brien, representing a doubling of applications.

He says that the response demonstrates public demand for measures which reduce both energy consumption and costs, while also contributing to emissions reductions. The Government will invest more than €650 million in home retrofit supports during the year, while O’Brien says that further work is being undertaken with the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) to expand support for businesses. Around 5,000 businesses were retrofitted during the previous year, he says, generating savings while reducing their exposure to future energy price shocks. O’Brien links the need for greater energy security to the succession of economic and geopolitical disruptions experienced over the past decade, including Brexit, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the cost-

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of-living crisis, changes in US trade policy, and the US-Israel bombing of Iran. “Any measures that we can take here to provide protections for people is really, really important,” he says.

Renewable expansion Ireland’s renewable generation capacity has expanded substantially over the past decade, with O’Brien highlighting the addition of approximately 5GW of new renewable capacity. The State now has around 8GW of renewable generation capacity, while renewables have in recent months met almost half of electricity demand. Wind remains the dominant renewable technology, although the Minister emphasises the increasing contribution of solar and the need to continue expanding both onshore and offshore generation.

O’Brien points to Ireland’s first offshore auction as evidence of continued investor interest, asserting that the process attracted four bidders and produced a competitive price despite challenging economic conditions. “It shows that even with the challenges that we have had with regard to offshore wind, particularly in the current economic climate, Ireland is seen as a very desirable place to develop offshore wind,” he says.

Planning and grid capacity Accelerating renewable deployment will require changes to the infrastructure and planning systems supporting it. O’Brien warns that delays would carry economic, environmental, and strategic costs.

“We now, as a country, have 8GW of renewables in renewable capacity in our system,” he says. “We need to accelerate that.”

He argues that slow delivery would leave Ireland exposed to international fossil fuel markets while potentially directing investment towards countries capable of delivering clean energy infrastructure more quickly.

The Government’s renewable electricity support scheme has attracted significant interest, with the most recent auction delivering a generation mix of approximately 70 per cent solar and 30 per cent wind.

The Minister points to the Planning and Development Act 2024 as an important component of the new planning environment, with applications for new projects to be assessed under the legislation.

Offshore wind represents a particularly significant opportunity, but O’Brien acknowledges that Ireland’s original ambition to have major offshore projects electrified by 2030 will not be achieved.

Additional resources provided to An Coimisiún Pleanála and local authorities are also beginning to improve consenting times, according to O’Brien.

“I have been very straight and direct with people; that is not going to be the case,” he says.

He says that the Government is seeking further acceleration through the passage of critical infrastructure legislation, which he describes as important in prioritising energy and other infrastructure projects.

The immediate objective is now to secure planning consents and move projects into construction, with O’Brien expressing hope that two significant planning decisions could be secured during the year. He also stresses the importance of creating a longer-term pipeline of offshore wind development, providing greater certainty for industry and developers. Work is underway on the national maritime area plan, which will identify additional sites that can subsequently be brought forward through auctions.

Central to that infrastructure programme is the expansion and reinforcement of the electricity grid. O’Brien highlights the PR6 programme and says the delivery of 520 capital projects will be essential to increasing grid capacity and resilience. Among these projects, he identifies the North-South Interconnector as particularly important. “This one piece of infrastructure will do so much for affordability, so much for resilience, so much to enable us to accelerate the integration of renewables into our grid,” he says.

O’Brien says there would be no further reviews of the North-South Interconnector’s undergrounding arrangements, following previous reviews, and that the project would proceed on the basis of its existing consents.

Building European connections Ireland’s energy transition will also require stronger connections beyond the island, particularly as renewable generation increases. The Celtic Interconnector, linking Ireland with France, is expected to be operational in 2028. O’Brien describes it as a significant piece of infrastructure and Ireland’s first direct electricity interconnection with continental Europe. He also confirms that he has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spain to assess the possibility of further interconnection. The Minister asserts that such connections would strengthen Ireland’s energy resilience while creating opportunities to export electricity as domestic renewable generation expands. “If we look at what has happened over the course of the last just few months, in particular, we can see how quickly international events hit us very, very hard here because of our overdependence on imported fossil [fuels],” he says. On how the State’s ongoing Presidency can be best utilised, Minister O’Brien identifies the European grids package as one of the significant files expected to progress during the Presidency, alongside measures aimed at accelerating industrial and clean-energy development. Concluding, O’Brien reaffirms the Government’s commitment to scaling up renewable deployment, strengthening the electricity grid, and reducing Ireland’s reliance on imported fossil fuels. He says that the transition will deliver two major benefits: reducing emissions while strengthening the economic position of the State. “There are two major wins within that: one from an environmental perspective, but two, critically, from an economic perspective.”

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AI pilots to public service transformation Salesforce hosts experts from the public and private sectors for a round table discussion on scaling AI pilots to transform public services. What does trustworthy AI look like in citizen-facing services, and what builds public confidence in practice? Louise McKeever For citizens to trust AI, they must know what problem it is solving, why we are using it, and what value it brings. We must also ensure that recourse is in place in the event that something goes wrong. It is critical that AI is used transparently, that there is accountability for its application, and humans are kept in the loop. Public confidence will come from experience. If AI makes a service faster, more accessible, and more personalised while citizens retain meaningful human oversight and control, people will see the benefit.

Mihai Bilauca Delivering trustworthy AI is an internal challenge as well as an external one. It is critical to understand the fundamentals of AI and what trustworthy AI means. You must build the correct capabilities so staff understand what AI entails. Embedding good governance structures, providing staff with training, and dealing with staff concerns around AI use is vital to achieving this. Damien McCallion Citizens must be engaged in the process when any new technology is being introduced so you can build trust. We have just finished our AI for Care strategy and patients, industry, and clinicians were involved in that process. It is critical to be outcome-focused to demonstrate the benefit of a new technology to reassure citizens of the value of its

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application. Organisations must also embed frameworks for governance, clarity, and accountability to reassure the public. Richard Boyd People are understandably worried about AI, so you must have a strong ethics framework that drives its use. Decisionmaking processes must have accountability embedded in them, not just for the service user, but also for the internal workforce. This is so they understand how decisions are being made on their behalf and workers can feel confident with the output. Large language models (LLMs) are probabilistic. They do not always come up with the same answer. Services designed around AI should capitalise on an LLMs’ ability to understand intent and then blend in deterministic logic throughout the interaction, the first gives a sense of natural interaction and the latter consistency. It is important any outcome ensures there are recourse procedures so the ‘why’ can be checked and verified. Vincent Kennedy Trust in AI starts with transparency. You must be clear about when and how AI is being used. From a Department of Social Protection (DSP) perspective, when dealing with entitlement to benefit services, we would always have to ensure there is a human in the loop if AI is being used. One phrase that should guide our AI use is, ‘do not take the human out of humanity’. To enable public confidence, staff must be

comfortable with using AI. They need to be able to explain, justify, and stand over anything AI-enabled in citizen-facing services. We must also ensure the right safeguards are in place. Building public confidence is less about technology and more about ensuring people feel in control. If customers can see the clear benefits, that will build trust. Richard Smith Transparency provides people with a level of assurance that the decisions we make are safe and compliant with our main goals. The introduction of AI-enabled services is a big change for people, so we must clearly articulate why we are using AI and how it benefits citizens. They will not engage with these services if you do not communicate that. It is critical to utilise language that resonates with people when communicating why AI is being deployed to address people’s concerns regarding the impact it will have on their jobs.

How is your organisation embedding EU AI Act requirements into AI delivery without slowing down innovation?

There tends to be quite a negative narrative around regulation. However, the EU AI Act is our friend. It is critical that the correct governance structures, guardrails, and policies are in place, and that people are sufficiently trained. All of that reinforces using an AI solution. When you have all of this in place and start with a low-risk use case, you can build on that. That helps to accelerate AI adoption in a very positive and controlled way. Governance and human oversight must be embedded from the outset, rather than adding them as a compliance step at the end. Richard Boyd We welcome the EU AI Act because it provides a foundation to build on and creates a safe environment to work in. Now, it is a question of how the Act can be operationalised so organisations can monitor AI use; for example, manage hallucinations, LLM drift, and monitor toxicity, all of which needs to persist in an immutable log. The Act gives clarity on what is expected. In the future, agents will be able to interact with each other, and we must be able to monitor these interactions. There is a lot to be considered, and organisations will need to balance how internal resources are deployed; should they build and maintain internal solutions or use platforms with pre-built capabilities that help accelerate the AI strategy of their organisation. Mihai Bilauca Despite popular belief, regulations and policies are not mechanisms to slow down innovation. They are the only mechanisms that speed up AI adoption. All of my colleagues have been requesting guidance and guardrails so they can operate AI in a clear policy environment. Governance does not hinder AI adoption; it helps AI adoption.

Richard Boyd Richard Boyd is the Salesforce CTO for Ireland, focused on the public sector across the UK and Ireland, spanning health as well as the broader public sector. With over 25 years’ experience in architecture and business strategy, he currently works with public sector organisations to help them to transform services and drive operational efficiencies focused on measurable outcomes using the Salesforce platform. Mihai Bilauca Mihai Bilauca is the Chief Information Officer at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH). He is responsible for driving the Government’s digitisation agenda for DHLGH, local authorities, and agencies under the Department’s remit. Bilauca worked in various roles in ICT management for UPC Romania, and for Limerick City and County Council as Head of Digital Strategy and in various other roles. Vincent Kennedy Vincent Kennedy is Principal and Head of Enterprise Architecture and Innovation at the Department of Social Protection. Since joining the Department in 2023, he has led initiatives focused on enterprise architecture, digital transformation, and technology innovation, helping to shape the strategic direction of technology services across the organisation. Prior to joining the Department, Kennedy spent more than 20 years in various ICT leadership roles in the private sector.

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Louise McKeever

Participants

Louise McKeever Louise McKeever is the Government Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Ireland, leading the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) at Deputy Secretary General level, in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. She serves as the State’s primary strategic advisor on the digital government agenda. McKeever is responsible for driving the digital transformation of public services and managing national infrastructure frameworks. Richard Smith Richard Smith has over 30 years’ experience as a technology professional, spanning medical engineering, aerospace, media, and shared services. He started his career as an electronic engineer before moving into IT as a software engineer, later progressing to lead large technology functions in complex organisations. Smith is currently the Chief Information Officer of the National Shared Services Office of the Irish Government. Damien McCallion Damien McCallion is the HSE’s Chief Technology and Transformation Officer with responsibility for technology, information security, data governance, and digital development. He is the HSE Director for the Sláintecare Programme, overseeing the HSE’s medium to long term transformation programmes. McCallion is also the lead for the HSE’s Organisational Change Unit and the HSE’s National Productivity Unit. He is also deputy CEO of the HSE.

Vincent Kennedy Building in governance is an enabler to progress. People want assurances that they are doing the

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“It is critical to utilise language that resonates with people when communicating why AI is being deployed.” Richard Smith right thing. We are building our AI delivery models and processes around the EU AI Act rather than building services and checking compliance with the Act at the end. I would recommend adopting a low-risk case first so you can navigate teething problems and then you are set up to adopt the higher-risk cases down the line. For high-risk cases especially, you need the right level of governance like that provided for in the EU AI Act. Richard Smith We have operationalised a medical cert reader that matches doctors’ handwritten certs to what is entered into our HR system. It has over 80 per cent-plus efficiency. In the middle of 2026, we had a backlog of 12,000 of these cases. We will have it cleared by Christmas 2026. Prior to the EU AI Act, there was minimal guidance to enable organisations to engage with AI. The Act gives us a framework informing a risk-based approach to the development of initiatives. As the Act stipulates, for highrisk initiatives, more layers of governance should be embedded while less are required for low-risk initiatives.

“We are building our AI delivery models and processes around the EU AI Act rather than building services and checking compliance with the Act at the end.” Vincent Kennedy

Damien McCallion Many medical devices incorporate AI, and we analysed how they would be impacted by the EU AI Act. We developed a strategy built on four pillars: clinical care, operations, research and innovation, and public health. Regarding AI use in clinical terms, we had a tender for a stroke detection system that could detect strokes 22 minutes earlier. That reduces the likelihood of long-term disability and death arising from a stroke. It also reduces lifetime costs of healthcare. While AI can deliver better outcomes across our four strategic areas, it is paramount that the clinician controls the system. The legislation provides clinicians with the reassurance they need to make decisions.

What data, legacy system, or institutional knowledge challenges are holding back AI adoption in your organisation? Vincent Kennedy

Damien McCallion Our foundational systems are poor, and a lot of our data is paper-based. However, we are investing in our foundational systems to address this. One clinical area in which we have been able to scale AI use at pace is radiology. That is because we invested in a national imaging system over a decade ago. Looking internationally, a hospital in Chicago adopted AI and senior staff said they did not need it and left its use to more junior staff. The AI learnt from junior staff who are less experienced and more prone to error, which eventually led to the AI model having to be retrained. It is critical that mistakes like this are not repeated. Louise McKeever One of our biggest barriers is interoperability. Trustworthy data-sharing across government is crucial for this. Traditionally, data-sharing is done between organisations on a case-bycase basis, but the ‘life events’ approach requires information to move smoothly between organisations. This requires the removal of boundaries, while digital building blocks can provide the

appropriate data ecosystem. Each organisation will still have to provide good quality data, the technical data architecture, and the skills. AI does not remove the need to fix our foundations; it makes the case for fixing them much more compelling. Mihai Bilauca It is not just the quality of the data that is important, the quality of the description of the data is also vital. I am glad that the new data strategy highlights the need for better metadata. I am concerned that the need to invest in metadata is not sufficiently resonating with organisations at the moment. This is so AI understands the meaning of the data more comprehensively. Furthermore, we need to keep investing in effective file management. The introduction of computer systems has created a gap in proper file management which makes document navigation more difficult. This is critical for AI adoption. Richard Boyd When dealing with legacy systems, data quality and consistency of a common meaning is a challenge. Metadata is data that describes data. It also helps AI establish context and meaning; a semantic layer is a method of structuring metadata to help AI, BI tools, and people

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We are working across a number of legacy systems. Data and our data governance present a challenge in trying to implement AI services in the Department. We have decades of valuable data that is dispersed across various systems. Establishing an effective data platform is fundamental for adopting AI. Our key focus is ensuring the underlying data is in a consistent format and of high standard.

“Start with the outcomes you are trying to achieve. AI may help achieve that outcome in a way that was not previously possible, but sprinkling AI on broken processes would not magically fix them.” Richard Boyd achieve a common interpretation of data. Without this, AI is left to do the interpretation, increasing the likelihood of hallucination. When sitting above legacy data, the consistency provided by a semantic layer underpins trusted AI. In addition, new AI tools have the ability to analyse legacy data systems, assess quality issues, and create strategies to improve quality and consistency. This enables organisations to unlock data at a scale and pace that was simply not possible in the past. Richard Smith A unique citizen identifier is required to ensure effective data-sharing across departments. This is not being prevented by a technical impediment, but a legislative one. We recently tried to use MyGovID to enable people to log in to our systems and we could not do it because we did not have legislative cover for it. The Government and public sector bodies are all doing the one thing. From that perspective, the introduction of a unique citizen identifier can only be a good thing for public service delivery.

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faster is only a partial measure; freeing up time to do what? For clinicians that may be a reduction in pyjama time which is linked to burnout, if so, measure the reduction in burnout not just the time saved. Without specific measurable outcomes, something else will fill the void. The message is to be intentional and specific and know the outcome you want. Vincent Kennedy There is a common perception that AI is going to be a panacea. Successful pilots prove that AI technology can work, but scaling to enterprise level is a different type of problem. Scaling must be focused on the delivery of better outcomes. To move from pilot to a scaled solution, you need to focus on three things: the correct foundations, including appropriate data structures, effective governance, and a relentless focus on the outcomes you intend to achieve.

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“We must ensure the workforce does not become complacent in decision-making processes as AI matures.” Damien McCallion What does it take to move AI from successful pilots to scaled solutions that deliver meaningful service transformation? Richard Smith

Richard Boyd Start with the outcomes you are trying to achieve. AI may help achieve that outcome in a way that was not previously possible, but sprinkling AI on broken processes would not magically fix them. Just freeing up time or completing a task

Mihai Bilauca We very often run into pilot fatigue which impedes AI adoption. Organisations can get tired from running too many pilots that do not result in a viable product. Pilots should not be started until a plan to scale it out is considered. Otherwise, you are just tinkering with a problem and not serious about solving it in full. To look at a historical example, creating the light bulb only answered part of the problem. Edison also had to think about a distribution network to scale that to entire cities. It is also critical to consider if you

IT can sometimes have an inclination to engage in behaviour where solutions go around hunting for problems. There is a tendency to unnecessarily attempt to find problems to which you can apply the latest technological fad. There is a lot of push to use AI, but you must first determine what problem you are trying to solve by using it. Otherwise, it is a science project that is not focused on any particular goal. When you define the problem you are trying to solve and what success looks like, you can work back from there. Louise McKeever AI transformation is not about deploying more technology, it is about delivering better government. The measure of success is simple: simpler services, faster outcomes, and greater trust for citizens. That is how we turn AI pilots into real public value.

“Despite popular belief, regulations and policies are not mechanisms to slow down innovation. They are the only mechanisms that speed up AI adoption.” Mihai Bilauca

Richard Smith Accountability will always rest with the business owner, but they must be appropriately informed. You want accountability to remain with business owners so it can breed appropriate behaviours. AI is not deterministic, it is probabilistic. At the end of the day, it is simply making its best guess. Being accountable is not enough, you must be informed so you understand your responsibilities. Vincent Kennedy

have the capacity, capability, and resources to scale out pilots, if successful. Damien McCallion We should not consider AI differently than any other innovation. There are myriad innovative solutions being devised all the time, but the real question is how many of these can be scaled. If you do not consider this at the beginning of a pilot, you will run into problems with procurement and buy-in. You cannot do everything, so you must have a clear prioritisation process, and you must embed a governance framework to ensure you deliver on your priorities. It is also important to conduct a cost-benefit assessment to ensure you deliver the best value for money when scaling innovations.

As AI takes on a greater role in decision-making, where should accountability sit, and how do we bring the workforce along? Richard Boyd There is no doubt AI has had a huge impact on how people view their place in the workforce. Where we have seen the

greatest success is where AI is treated and managed as a digital work colleague working alongside the human team. The same leader is able to make the necessary changes to the agent when there are developments in policy or advice. That approach has completely changed people’s attitudes. They do not see AI as a technology; they see it as someone who enables them to do their job better. In terms of accountability, that sits with people for important decisions and the final say is ultimately a human decision Louise McKeever Accountability cannot be delegated, it will always sit with people, not AI. We need clear ownership and the confidence to question and challenge decisions. That is the human-in-the-loop part. We must equip people around data, digital, and AI; it is essential. We need people to be data literate, digitally confident, and AI capable. If you are going to interact with models you must understand the data, you must be able to assess the outputs, and you must be able to intervene. We need a different approach to skills and training so people are equipped appropriately.

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“AI does not remove the need to fix our foundations; it makes the case for fixing them much more compelling.” Louise McKeever

Accountability must always sit with the organisation. The technology is there to assist you, not to drive. In DSP, the types of decisions we make can involve very vulnerable people. That means those decisions need to remain with people. AI can support them to make those decisions, but the accountability must sit with a person and the organisation. To bring staff along, training is crucial. People need to thoroughly understand what they are working with. Transparency is also critical to bring people on the journey. Mihai Bilauca Humans must always have accountability for decisions. When software is installed, it comes with a message that the company that manufactured the product is not responsible for the way it is used. Software companies do not take responsibility for the outputs of a particular software system. The challenge is how do you assist the system owners in taking on that role. Most people do not want to do this without support. It is important that AI systems are built with feedback loops and error-correction mechanisms. There must be a channel for errors to be identified and rectified by humans that own these systems and make decisions. Damien McCallion I would change the term ‘human in the loop’ to ‘AI in the loop’ because the human should be there by default. Some processes will be highly automated, but we do not want AI bots to replace jobs that involve human interaction. We must also protect against complacency and that is done through effective education and training. If people rely too heavily on automation, it could lead to errors which will negatively impact outcomes. We must ensure the workforce does not become complacent in decision-making processes as AI matures.

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Stark north-south energy funding difference The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) was allocated €655 million for residential and community energy upgrade schemes under Budget 2027, while the North’s Department for the Economy (DfE) has delivered over £25 million in support to households and businesses for energy projects since December 2021. This represents an annual average delivery of £5 million (€5.9 million), meaning the SEAI’s allocation under Budget 2027 is €649.1 million greater than this. The SEAI’s allocation forms part of €956 million provided for energy transformation under the budget and is intended to support the delivery of the National Residential Retrofit Plan 2026, published by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE) in January 2026. DCEE says this is to be supplemented with additional funding including from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The ERDF is to provide for

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an increase in the allocation for the Warmer Home Scheme in 2027. SEAI’s allocation will contribute to funding new measures introduced by the Government in September 2026. The new measures are to provide for solar PV and battery systems as standard for fullyfunded Warmer Homes Scheme retrofits They are also to provide “more generous” solar, attic, and cavity insulation grants to those most at risk. Further measures include “more favourable eligibility criteria” for solar PV and solar thermal, a fossil fuel boiler scrappage support of €2,000, and enhanced

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“More than one in every 10 homes in Ireland have already benefited from SEAI-supported home energy upgrades.” Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien TD business supports “worth thousands in energy savings”. Under the allocation, the SEAI is also to provide increased supports and advisory services to enable the public sector to manage energy costs and contribute to Ireland’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. Under Budget 2027, the SEAI has also been provided with €37 million to provide continued support for energy research. This includes investment in the SEAI’s Research Development and Demonstration Programme which aims to accelerate solutions for the State’s transition to a clean and secure energy future. DCEE says supports for businesses “will save thousands in energy costs”. It adds that businesses availing of enhanced solar PV supports could reduce energy costs by up to €300,000 annually. Significant energy savings are also possible with enhanced solar thermal and heat pump grants, DCEE says. The Department states that “households could benefit from savings of up to €878 per year”. Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O’Brien TD says: “More than one in every 10 homes in Ireland have already benefited from SEAIsupported home energy upgrades. Budget 2027 allows us to accelerate that progress even further; reaching more households, delivering more improvements, and doing so faster.”

The Department says more than 287,000 home energy improvements have been supported since 2019. In this time, more than €2 billion has been invested through SEAI residential schemes. Over 39,500 fully funded upgrades have been delivered through the Warmer Homes Scheme, while over 120,000 homes have been supported through the solar PV grant scheme. A total of 3,160 installations have been supported through the Non-Domestic Microgen Grant Scheme since its launch in 2022.

Department for the Economy DfE tells eolas Magazine: “Since the Executive agreed the Energy Strategy in December 2021, the Department for the Economy has delivered over £25 million in support to households and businesses for energy projects and is committed to scale the level of support available.” In April 2026, the Utility Regulator approved the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programmes (NISEP) schemes for 2026/2027. It is an energy efficiency programme for domestic and non-domestic customers. At least 80 per cent of the funding is available to vulnerable or ‘priority’ customers. Energy Saving Trust is the administrator of the programme on behalf of the Utility Regulator. It is an £8 million fund which is collected from domestic and commercial electricity customers through a public service obligation.

The Department for the Economy aims to support businesses to improve energy efficiency through the £40 million Energy and Resource Efficiency Programme, delivered by Invest NI. Half of the programme’s funding is directed towards the Energy Efficiency Capital grant. The programme also provides free access to energy audits, renewable energy feasibility studies, and technical assessments for eligible businesses. Invest NI also delivers the recently announced Shared Island Sustainability Challenge Fund, providing £3 million for innovative energy projects. The Department tells eolas Magazine that this “builds on the support offered from the Shared Island Sustainability Capital grant” which provided £10 million across three large-scale energy projects in 2025. Regarding energy support for households, according to the Northern Ireland Housing Bulletin April: June 2026, just under £10 million was spent on the Affordable Warmth Scheme in 2025/2026. The Department says officials are currently developing a new Domestic Energy Efficiency and Low Carbon Heat Programme. It is to undergo consultation in Q4 2026 and is due to be launched in late-2027. “As an interim measure, while the new programme is being developed, the Department has provided almost £6 million in additional support to NISEP, helping around 2,500 low-income households improve thermal comfort and reduce energy bills,” the Department says.

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Pictured (L-R): Maria Pobre, Johnson & Johnson; Audrey Carville, RTÉ; Orlaigh Quinn, IIEA; Rachel Shelly, IDA Ireland; and Brita O’Reilly, Johnson & Johnson.

Harnessing innovation to improve health and competitiveness As Ireland hosts the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), with support from Johnson & Johnson, recently brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and patient advocates for its landmark conference: Europe in Good Health – Securing EU Leadership in Life Sciences, in Dublin.

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Opening remarks were delivered by Orlaigh Quinn, Interim Director General of the IIEA and Maria Pobre, General Manager of Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Ireland. The conference featured discussions between EU and Irish policymakers and leading industry representatives, including Anouk De Vroey, Head of Government Affairs and Policy, Johnson & Johnson EMEA. The conversation focused on how initiatives such as the EU Biotech Act can strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, accelerate health innovation and improve patient outcomes. Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD delivered a keynote address, followed by a fireside conversation with Audrey Carville. The half-day programme also featured two panels: Sharpening Europe’s Competitive Edge and Driving Innovation for Patients, which brought together leaders from the European Commission, European Parliament, government, industry, and patient organisations.

IIEA Interim Director General Orlaigh Quinn said: “At a time when Europe is seeking to strengthen both its competitiveness and its health systems, there is real value in bringing together policymakers, industry, patient representatives, and experts to discuss the choices that lie ahead.” Claire Skentelbery, Director General at EuropaBio, added: “A strong European life science ecosystem is essential for patients and for the EU itself, with competitiveness, employment, economic growth. The panel allowed us to discuss how we ensure that all member states are partners, contributors and beneficiaries.” The Institute of International and European Affairs is an independent think tank and policy research institute. It acts as a forum, bringing together stakeholders to discuss issues of national, European, and international significance. For more information, please visit www.iiea.com

Rachel Shelly, IDA Ireland; Orlaigh Quinn, IIEA; and Brita O’Reilly, Johnson & Johnson.

Audrey Carville, RTÉ; Mark Ferguson, formerly of the European Innovation Council; and Rachel Shelly, IDA Ireland.

Pictured (L-R): Fergal Sharpe, Orla Dormer, and Carmel Mulroy, Johnson & Johnson; Avril Daly, EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe; and Brita O’Reilly, Johnson & Johnson; Orlaigh Quinn, IIEA; and Maria Pobre, Johnson & Johnson.

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD.

Audrey Carville, RTÉ; Vytenis Andriukaitis MEP; Claire Skentelbery, EuropaBio; Avril Daly, EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe; and Muiris O’Connor, Department of Health.

Muiris O’Connor, Department of Health; Audrey Carville, RTÉ; Avril Daly, EURORDIS-Rare Diseases Europe; Claire Skentelbery, EuropaBio; Vytenis Andriukaitis MEP; and Barry Colfer, IIEA

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Anouk De Vroey, Johnson & Johnson and Thomas van Cangh, European Commission.

Maria Pobre, Johnson & Johnson.

Why flexible mobility is becoming a business growth tool “The updated National Development Plan commits €275.4 billion in public capital investment from 2026 to 2035. “The ESRI’s Quarterly Economic Commentary, Autumn 2026 forecasts modified domestic demand growth of 3.4 per cent in 2027 and housing completions of just under 40,500. “All of this is changing the way businesses think about mobility.”

Mobility that follows the business Europcar’s flexible fleet solutions enable organisations to access vehicles from a single day through to longer-term periods of up to two years or more, giving businesses the ability to scale vehicle numbers up and down as circumstances change.

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As demand and business needs continue to expand and cost and capex pressures rise, for many institutions, vehicle requirements are no longer predictable enough to fit neatly into a traditional fleet model. For state bodies delivering the National Development Plan, local authorities, semi-state organisations, NGOs, and development boards, the challenge is increasingly the same: deliver more, demonstrate value for money, and keep projects moving while remaining responsive as priorities and workloads shift. The scale is significant. A construction company may need additional vehicles when a new project mobilises. Renewable energy and climate technology businesses can have teams moving between multiple sites. A film

production may require a substantial number of vehicles for several weeks or months before demand falls away almost immediately. “Organisations increasingly want mobility to reflect what is actually happening in their business,” says Joe Quirke, Commercial Director and Head of Country, Ireland at Europcar. “That means having the right vehicles available when and where they are needed, with the flexibility to adjust capacity as projects, budgets, and service demands change.

That flexibility is particularly valuable in project-led and fast-growth sectors. For public sector, semi-state, and project-led organisations, that scalability can be critical. The same principle applies to organisations supporting Ireland’s wider growth sectors. State agencies and development bodies that enable inward film production, regional enterprise, or major events can experience short-term mobility peaks, while semi-state organisations with nationwide operations may need to adjust fleet capacity as service demand and ESG commitments evolve. The objective is to maintain the right fleet mix at the right time, reducing idle capacity and helping ensure mobility supports successful project delivery; on time and within budget. “A fleet should enable growth rather than constrain it,” says Quirke. “If a business wins a new contract, starts a new project, or needs to mobilise a team quickly, transport considerations should not become a bottleneck.”

Flexible access to electric and hybrid vehicles can provide an alternative route, allowing businesses to introduce lowertailpipe emission vehicles into appropriate parts of their operations without immediately committing to fleet ownership or having to consider installing the infrastructure required to support EVs. Europcar has continued to expand access to hybrid and electric vehicles within its Irish fleet, maintaining a mix of vehicle types designed to meet differing business requirements even within an organisation. “The transition will be different for every organisation,” says Quirke. “The important thing is giving businesses practical options so that they can make progress on sustainability without compromising their operational needs. The wider Europcar mobility ecosystem is constantly adapting to reflect this.

Beyond the monthly vehicle cost The conversation is also increasingly moving towards the lifetime cost of mobility. Buying vehicles requires capital expenditure, while conventional longterm leasing can leave organisations committed to costs even when utilisation changes. Europcar’s model is designed to enable scaling your fleet up or down as and when you need to, aligning vehicle provision more closely with actual requirements, without having to worry about high up-front investment costs, servicing, maintenance, and breakdown assistance. “Cost efficiency is not simply about finding the lowest daily or monthly rate,” according to Quirke. “It is about understanding what mobility is costing the organisation overall, and making sure the fleet is being used efficiently.”

Data, visibility, and business continuity Technology is another increasingly important part of that equation. Europcar operates Ireland’s only 100 per cent IoT connected Telematics-enabled

“If somebody needs a vehicle to reach a customer, visit a site, or carry out essential work, an unavailable vehicle becomes an operational issue,” Quirke says. “Being able to respond quickly and keep that person, crew, or team moving is a fundamental part of the service.” Digital visibility and reporting can also help organisations make better-informed decisions about how their vehicles are being deployed, helping them to move fast and allocate fleet resources where they are needed most. Europcar’s model is powered by a state-of-the-art digital ecosystem that eliminates administrative friction, provides complete real-time visibility, and automates vehicle dispatch and collection.

Making lower-emission mobility more accessible Sustainability remains another significant part of the mobility conversation. Organisations with ESG and emissionsreduction targets are increasingly examining their transport footprint, but electrifying an entire owned fleet in one step may not be practical for every company.

A more adaptable approach Ultimately, the shift is about making mobility respond to business activity rather than forcing businesses to structure their operations around a fixed fleet. For organisations entering new markets, winning projects, mobilising temporary teams, or simply trying to use capital more efficiently, that distinction is becoming increasingly important. “The starting point for us is understanding what the customer is trying to achieve,” Quirke concludes. “Where do their people need to be? When do they need vehicles, and what for? How might that requirement change? “Once mobility is built around those questions, it becomes more than vehicle rental. It becomes a fundamental operational tool that can help a business adapt and grow.”

W: europcarfleet.ie

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Europcar’s proposition is designed for a broad range of decision-makers, including procurement and operations teams, facilities and travel managers, fleet and sustainability leaders, and organisations with distributed workforces.

rental fleet, with exclusive supporting capabilities including ‘Track and Trace’ and rapid vehicle replacement. The technology is intended to give organisations greater visibility and transparency around vehicle usage, while helping reduce disruption when a vehicle becomes unavailable.

“With this in mind, Europcar has partnered with Ireland’s largest eMobility Services Provider (eMSP), enabling access to over 4,500 public chargers across 1,500 locations nationwide, providing inclusive charging solutions that reduce range anxiety and support the transition to greener fleets.”

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S cial Media 27.01.27 • Croke Park, Dublin Now in its 13th year, Social Media Dublin is the major event for the Irish social media and communications industry. Organised by eolas Magazine, the conference sold out in 2026 and brought together a record 400 attendees. Our exciting line-up for 2027 will showcase successful social media campaigns from Ireland and beyond. Ireland has an estimated 4.26 million social media users. For perspective, this figure was equivalent to 80.1 per cent of Ireland’s total population at the end of 2025. A strong social presence can grow your brand, engage key stakeholders, and create communities. The annual Social Media Dublin conference is an essential date in the calendar of Irish marketers. As well as being significant in terms of social media expertise and learnings, #SMDublin has developed a strong networking dimension. It has become an event where the key communications and social media players meet for discussion and coffee overlooking the scenic views of the iconic Croke Park stadium.

Expert speakers include… Emilie Engedalen, Social Media Advisor Norwegian Air

David Levin Freelance writer

Muiriosa Ryan, Social Media and Digital Marketing Manager, Health Service Executive

Tom Butcher, General Manager, Ireland LADbible Group

Eleshea Williams, Social Media Specialist Amnesty International

Stephen Cleary, Brand Manager National Lottery

Sandra Murphy, Assistant Principal, Preparedness, Resilience and Strategic Communication, Department of Defence

Anne McCarthy, Marketing and Brand Manager, Sport Ireland

Gavin McKenna, Head of Marketing, Digital and Communications, Visit Belfast

Darragh Doyle, Strategic Communications, Dublin City Council Culture Company

Maryssa Beale, Social Media Lead l Growth Deloitte Ireland LLP

Nicola Halloran, Managing Director, Digital Team, Teneo

Claire Redmond, PR and Partnerships Manager, Fáilte Ireland

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Prioritising prisons Following the announcements in Budget 2027, the justice sector is to have its funding increased by €400 million over the next year, with the vast bulk of the new money to be allocated to policing and prisons. Budget 2027, announced on 6 October 2026, allocates around €5.9 billion to the justice sector, with the budget of An Garda Síochána having increased by €176 million with the goal of recruiting 1,000 new gardaí.

Justice, Home Affairs and Migration states that this will support the recruitment of more than 200 prison officers, investments in prison officer training, and improvements to IT and digital infrastructure.

The Garda budget also aims to support the further rollout of body-worn cameras to frontline gardaí and the strengthening of training including pursuits training. In this context, funding for the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is to increase by €1.9 million to €15.7 million.

Complementing this is the capital budget, which increases by 40 per cent from €68 million to €95 million. This aims to support “major prison building” which aims to deliver 1,500 prison spaces by 2031. Among the most significant prison building projects scheduled to be undertaken in 2027 are Midlands Prison, with 102 spaces; continued development of Castlerea Grove Phase 2, with 126 spaces; the extension of the D wing at Cloverhill, with 270 spaces, the Castlerea Harristown Block, with 68 spaces; and

The budget allocation for the Irish Prison Service is increasing by 18 per cent compared to 2026, with €686 million being allocated, an increase of €106 million. The Department of

the Dóchas Rowan Yard extension, with 52 spaces. On migration, the Budget introduces significant cuts to spending, with the migration budget to be reduced by €682 million, or 38 per cent. This accounts for a reduction of €430 million on the cost of accommodation for people arriving from Ukraine under temporary protection, which is a reduction of 71 per cent. Also on migration, the Budget has increased the budget for deportations by €2 million. The Department claims that further savings of €252 million will be made on costs of accommodation for people seeking international protection. The Department says this is due to “the ongoing significant

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programme of reform, value for money, and governance measures in the International Protection Accommodation System and the implementation of the [EU] Migration Pact”.

Cybersecurity

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The National Cyber Security Strategy 2030 was launched on 7 October 2026, and follows on from the second National Cyber Security Strategy published in 2019. It addresses the systemic cyber risks the State faces and sets out the path to strengthening Ireland’s cybersecurity and protecting the digital world. The vision behind this strategy is to build a secure, resilient digital infrastructure which protects Irish society and fosters innovation and a strong indigenous cyber ecosystem while engaging confidently with European and international partners to uphold a free, secure, and rules-based cyber space. The National Cyber Security Strategy 2030 is structured around three pillars: detect and defend, enhance national resilience, and strengthen our cyber ecosystem. It includes 29 measures that will strengthen the State’s cybersecurity and resilience. These include: •

•

developing a national detection network, establishing a national cyber hub, and developing new national cyber defence services; fully implementing new EU cybersecurity legislation related to critical infrastructure and to products with digital elements; and establishing a cybersecurity research centre of excellence to drive world-class cybersecurity research in Ireland.

Domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence Cuan’s annual report for 2025, published in July 2026, describes domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence as “a problem which is not receding”. Cuan states that its priority is raising awareness of channels for victims to report abuse.

Although CSO data indicates that overall violent crime has reduced as of Q2 2026, the number of female victims of assault and related offences rose by 4 per cent to 2,659 victims in Q2 2026 from Q2 2025.

Legislative priorities The Government’s Autumn Legislation Programme outlines pieces of legislation by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration as priorities. These are: •

Civil Reform Bill;

•

Criminal Justice (protection, Preservation of and Access to Data on Information Systems) Bill;

•

Criminal Justice (Violation of EU Restrictive Measures) Bill;

•

Criminal Procedure (Remote Hearings) Bill;

•

Inspection of Places of Detention Bill;

•

National Cyber Security Bill;

•

The Judicial Council (Amendment) Bill; and

•

Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

Speaking following the budget announcement, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan TD says that the

allocations “will result in increased and record investment to reduce and prevent crime, strengthen public safety, confront domestic, sexual, and genderbased violence, and continue reforming Ireland’s asylum and migration laws”. Despite this optimism, recorded crime statistics by the CSO, published in October 2026, show that the number of crime incidents rose for most offence groups in the 12 months to Q2 2026. The largest rates of increase were for dangerous and negligent acts (11 per cent); fraud, deception, and related offences (9 per cent); controlled drug offences (8 per cent); and weapons and explosives offences (6 per cent). For those offence groups where there was a fall in the number of crime incidents, the largest rates of decrease were for sexual offences (-19 per cent), homicide and related offences (-9 per cent), and burglary and related offences (-6 per cent). On migration, the story is somewhat better for Minister O’Callaghan, as according to the CSO, net inward migration was 59,700 in 2025 and 48,100 in 2026, based on the 12-month periods ending in April of each year, showing a decrease of 19 per cent between the two time periods.

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Future of finance across justice reforms to enhance the independence and quality of Ireland’s justice system were continuing and that companies perceived judicial independence as “very high”. The sector also has a strong track record of delivering reforms across policing, courts, immigration, victim supports, and digital services. The question is how it can build on that record and equip itself for the demands ahead.

Ireland’s justice sector operates where public policy meets daily life. It protects communities, administers courts, supports prisons and rehabilitation, manages immigration, and enables access to justice. Together, these functions uphold the rule of law and public confidence in the State, writes Tony Nugent, Finance Transformation Partner at EY.

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These responsibilities sit across the critical organisations including the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, the Data Protection Commission, and the Irish Prison Service. They operate amid population growth, rising demand, and complex operational realities. For public sector leaders, the question is larger than how finance records expenditure. It is how finance can provide the evidence and foresight needed to sustain services, optimise how resources are deployed, and account clearly for public money. 34

This challenge sits at the heart of the sector’s modernisation agenda. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan TD has identified “building a modern and efficient justice system” as a central priority. Public confidence depends not only on sound policy and legislation, but also on institutions capable of operating effectively, transparently, and sustainably. Ireland approaches this next phase from a position of strength. It ranked eighth out of 143 countries in the 2025 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index. The European Commission’s 2025 assessment also found that

The future of finance is therefore not a back-office conversation. It is about equipping institutions to navigate complexity and deliver high quality services. The next phase of justice reform will depend as much on the quality of information available to leaders as on policy or operational change.

Building a better information base Ireland has a strong tradition of parliamentary financial accountability. Appropriation Accounts record receipts and payments against amounts authorised by the Oireachtas, complemented by accrual information and supporting notes. Public Financial Procedures provides the wider framework for stewardship of public resources. Following the OECD’s review of financial reporting in Ireland, the Government began developing a central government accounting framework based on international public sector accounting standards and adapted to Irish circumstances. The first Central Government Accounting Standards took effect from 1 January 2024, with further standards introduced progressively. Cash control remains central to parliamentary accountability. Accrual reporting complements it by providing a

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fuller picture of assets, liabilities, provisions, commitments, and service costs over time.

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The OECD has identified an international movement towards accrual accounting, driven by transparency and better-informed fiscal decisions. Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom were among the early adopters. Their experience points to a consistent lesson: better information does not replace political judgement or public accountability, but gives leaders a stronger basis on which to exercise both. The relevance for justice is clear. Its financial landscape encompasses supplier and fee-based payments, grants, payroll interfaces, receipts, estates, technology investment, and specialist arrangements supporting frontline services. Whether responding to prison capacity, court demand, policing investment, or immigration transformation, leaders need reliable information to decide how resources are deployed. Standardisation must not become an objective in itself. Controls should be consistent, but operating models must recognise legal duties, security, service continuity, and the distinct requirements of policing, prisons, courts, immigration, and departmental functions.

From modern finance to AI readiness

The Financial Management Shared Services programme, being delivered across the wider public sector, including justice, is an important enabler. Yet the opportunity is larger than any one programme. The prize is a connected financial ecosystem producing trusted, timely information. Across justice, this work extends into reporting, process design, data

Better data also creates the conditions for responsible artificial intelligence. AI cannot compensate for inconsistent classifications, incomplete records, or unclear ownership. Consolidated systems, common definitions, and disciplined governance can establish a trusted foundation for analytics, supporting better forecasting, faster reconciliations, payment anomaly detection, more focused reporting, and unlock efficiencies across the sector. Within justice, these opportunities must of course be pursued with human oversight, security, data protection, auditability, and clear accountability. Finance reform is sometimes viewed as a back office exercise. In reality, it is an investment in the State’s capacity to plan, prioritise, and deliver effectively.

analysis and carefully controlled applications of AI. None is an end in itself. The prize is not simply a new system or reporting framework. It is a stronger financial foundation for justice: one that protects stewardship, supports informed choices, and helps leaders translate finite resources into safer and more sustainable outcomes. The justice sector in Ireland, with its formidable track record of reform and delivery, is well positioned to fully embrace these opportunities and harness finance, data, and technology in service of the public good.

W: www.ey.com/en_ie

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This is where consolidating financial systems matters. Fragmented platforms, chart of accounts, and inconsistent definitions make it harder to compare costs, understand commitments, or develop a coherent view of performance. A connected financial architecture can reduce duplication, strengthen governance, and improve the journey from purchase request to approval, receipt, invoice, and payment.

migration, testing, training, and business readiness.

A strategic opportunity The leadership opportunity is to connect these developments. Accrual reporting broadens the information available to decision-makers. Shared services and modern systems promote consistency. Better-governed data enables stronger 35

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justice report

Ensuring that it does is not simply a national responsibility. In an increasingly interconnected Europe, it also depends on how well we work together. As European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, I see every day how much Europeans rely on justice; people expect their rights to be protected, courts to be fair and independent, and public power to be exercised according to the law. That trust is precious. It underpins our democracies. At the start of my mandate, I committed to strengthening Europe’s justice systems around two key areas: modernising justice for the digital age and strengthening judicial cooperation across borders.

Making justice fit for the digital age

Commissioner Michael McGrath: Protecting rights in a changing Europe In 2025, more than 379,000 new criminal matters were presented to the Irish courts. Behind every case is a person, a victim, or a family relying on the justice system to work effectively and fairly, writes European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath. 36

Digital tools and AI offer real opportunities to make courts more efficient and improve access to justice. They can support document management, communication, and legal research, allowing judges, prosecutors, and court staff to work more effectively. But innovation must never come at the expense of fundamental rights. Decisions affecting people’s lives must remain subject to meaningful human oversight, with appropriate safeguards for privacy, data protection, and non-discrimination. AI can support justice, but it cannot replace human judgement or deliver justice on its own. Our task at EU level is to help member states harness these opportunities responsibly. Through our DigitalJustice@2030 Strategy, we are supporting the digitalisation of national justice systems. Under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), we also intend to make funding available for national projects that advance this work. Technology alone, however, will not deliver modern justice. Judicial professionals need the skills and confidence to use new tools responsibly. This is why more than 30 per cent of the European Commission’s current justice programme budget is devoted to judicial training. We have also proposed a higher allocation for the programme under the next EU budget.

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Strengthening cooperation across borders

Organised crime operates across all 27 EU member states and extends worldwide. It generates an estimated €139 billion in illicit profits annually in the EU, yet only around 2 per cent of criminal proceeds are confiscated. These figures illustrate the scale of the challenge. Criminal networks exploit differences between national systems, move money across borders, and adapt quickly to new technologies. No member state can tackle these threats alone. Ireland has long recognised the importance of tackling organised crime at its source: the money it generates. As Ireland’s Criminal Assets Bureau approaches its 30th anniversary, its establishment in response to rising levels of serious and organised crime is a reminder that effective law enforcement means not only prosecuting offenders, but also depriving them of the proceeds of their crimes. That same principle must guide our work at European level. Criminal networks do not stop at national borders, and our response cannot stop there either. We need closer cooperation between national authorities and EU agencies such as the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol). In our recent proposals to revise the mandates of both agencies, we have sought to strengthen their governance, operational capacity, and analytical capabilities, enabling them to respond more effectively to increasingly complex and transnational criminal activity. Cooperation must also extend beyond the EU. We are working to strengthen judicial cooperation with third countries. Our latest initiative is a recommendation to authorise negotiations on Eurojust cooperation agreements with eight third countries: Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, and the United Arab Emirates. We are also working to improve the tools available to national authorities, including the European Arrest Warrant and the European Investigation Order. The proposed revision of the latter would make it easier for suspects, accused persons, and victims to participate in criminal proceedings by video conference.

Following the evidence in a digital world Electronic evidence is now central to almost every criminal investigation. Communications, financial transactions, and other traces of criminal activity increasingly exist in digital form, often held by companies established in another

The EU’s new e-evidence rules, applicable since August 2026, are an important step forward. They allow judicial authorities, under the conditions set out in the legislation, to send European Production or Preservation orders directly to a service provider’s legal representative in another member state. Data must be provided within 10 days or within eight hours in urgent cases.

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My second priority is to ensure that national authorities and EU bodies have the tools and cooperation mechanisms they need to tackle crime that crosses borders.

country. Obtaining that evidence can be difficult and timeconsuming. Investigators need timely access to relevant evidence across borders. Otherwise, criminals can exploit gaps between national systems to evade justice.

Ireland has a particular stake in making this framework work effectively. As home to many major digital service providers, it occupies an important position at the intersection of the EU’s digital economy and cross-border criminal investigations. But justice is not only about investigating and prosecuting crime. It is also about ensuring that victims are heard, protected, and able to exercise their rights in practice. The EU’s work on victims’ rights is an important part of this commitment. The measures adopted in June 2026 aim to make reporting crimes easier and improve access to support, including through an EU-wide helpline. The revised Victims’ Rights Directive strengthens protections relating to personal data, access to legal aid, and the enforcement of compensation decisions. We are also developing a Victims’ Rights Strategy to build on this work and help ensure that victims can exercise their rights effectively in practice.

The foundation: the rule of law Neither digital innovation nor stronger cooperation can succeed without respect for the rule of law. These are not separate concerns; they are the foundations on which effective justice depends. Independent courts, accountable institutions, and the protection of fundamental rights are essential to ensuring that justice works in practice. The European Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report supports this work by assessing developments across member states and encouraging reforms. Ultimately, Europe needs justice systems that are modern, resilient, and capable of responding to new threats without losing sight of the values that define our Union. That means embracing technology responsibly, equipping our authorities to cooperate effectively across borders, and ensuring that the rule of law remains at the heart of everything we do. The test of our work is not the number of strategies we publish or laws we adopt. It is whether people can rely on justice when they need it most.

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Boots on the ground The introduction of high-visibility policing has seen a reduction in robbery, assault, and criminal damage in areas where the initiative has been introduced in Dublin.

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Trust is earned one interaction at a time and An Garda Síochána’s High-Visibility Policing Plan has increased the public’s interaction with the organisation via increased Garda presence on our city’s streets. High-visibility policing (HVP) sees more members assigned to dedicated foot patrols on routes through the key thoroughfares of our cities, in locations that were selected following an analysis of calls for service, crime trends, and feedback from businesses and the community.

High-visibility policing places an increased focus on policing public order offences, antisocial behaviour, drug dealing, aggressive begging, and shoplifting, with a pro-arrest policy for recidivist offenders including strong bail objections where appropriate. Over the last 18 months, high-visibility patrols have been introduced into Dublin city centre and parts of suburban Dublin, Cork city, Limerick city and Galway city, with the first HVP Plan introduced in March 2025 in Dublin city. Resources were specifically deployed to the central Dublin Garda divisions which

encapsulate Store Street and Pearse Street Garda stations. There has been a reduction in key crimes in areas where high-visibility policing has been introduced in Dublin. Provisional data indicates that during the period from April 2025 to March 2026 in Dublin City Centre, there were on average 18 arrests every day, (nearly 6,500 total arrests during the period) and on average 35 charges/summonses issued every day (over 13,500 total charges/summonses altogether during the period). Quarterly trends from Q1 2024 up to the end of June 2026 in Dublin city centre show sustained improvements in several key areas: •

criminal damage incidents were less than half of what they had been (in Q1 2024) by the end of June 2026;

•

theft remains the largest crime

category by volume, but the trend is declining and there has been a 38.76 per cent decrease in the number of thefts in Q2 2026 compared to Q1 2024; and •

assaults and robbery were the lowest they had been in 2.5 years by the end of Q2 2026.

“It provides a great deal of reassurance to the public to see guards on the street. We have seen incidents of assault decrease, criminal damage incidents are less than half of what they were, and theft is down significantly.” In the 12 months to April 2026, the highvisibility policing strategy in Dublin was extended into DMR East (Dún Laoghaire town, Shankhill village, Blackrock village, Dundrum village including the town centre) and DMR South (The Square Shopping Centre, Tallaght village, Rathfarnham village, Crumlin village, Rathmines village, Rathgar village, and Terenure village.) Tallaght Garda Kevin Mitchell describes the reaction of locals to the high-visibility beats: “You cannot go too far without somebody stopping you and saying that they are happy to see guards out on the beat. We have the beat here in the Square and another one in Tallaght village. There is a much older demographic in the village and it is the elderly population out there would be stopping you, constantly telling you that ‘we are just delighted to see you out and about patrolling’.”

“It is a good variety, a good mix of stuff that people want to report to you or want to chat about.” As part of the Dublin City High-Visibility Policing Plan, Garda pop-up clinics were

Gardaí Laura O’Connor and Gheorghe Rosu on a high-visibility patrol in Cork city centre.

set up in Dublin’s docklands on the north and south side. The first clinic was held on 25 July 2025. The clinics provide an opportunity for local organisations, business stakeholders, and members of the public to seek guidance and advice from the Community Policing team on a range of issues. There is a particular focus on a ‘business watch’ scheme aimed at supporting staff working in retail in the area.

Cork High-visibility patrols were no longer the preserve of Dublin as of November 2025, when An Garda Síochána in the Cork city division launched permanent highvisibility patrols, following allocation of probationer gardaí and transfers of additional gardaí to the Cork city division. In total, 11 high-visibility posts/beats across the city were selected with a designated operating time between 8am and 4am. A total of 23 gardaí are assigned to this operation every day.

Limerick

Galway and Waterford In August 2026, high-visibility patrols were launched in Galway, following the allocation of 28 new gardaí to the Galway division, while it has just been announced that high-visibility policing is being rolled out in Waterford. Deputy Commissioner for Operations Shawna Coxon says: “Dealing with lower-level crime taking place openly on our streets plays an important role in preventing more serious incidents from developing. “The introduction of high-visibility policing has been a significant success, and where we have already captured the data, we have seen numerous crime categories fall. High-visibility beats will be introduced into other cities and urban areas in 2026 and 2027 as we continue to grow Garda numbers.”

W: www.garda.ie/en

All data from An Garda Síochána is operational, provisional and subject to change. Official crime statistics are published by the Central Statistics Office.

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Garda Mitchell says they encounter lost children, and “a lot of tourists looking for directions, and looking to be pointed to the direction of bus stops and Luas stops and businesses that have maybe theft incidents to report, or damage to property”.

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Assistant Commissioner for the Dublin Metropolitan Region Jonathan Roberts says: “We are very pleased with the success of the initiative so far. We have had very positive feedback from local communities, from members of the business community, and from retailers.

The High-Visibility Policing Plan commenced in Limerick city on 4 March 2026. This has seen gardaí from Henry St Garda Station and Roxboro Road Garda Station deployed on a daily basis on high visibility patrols on eight dedicated patrol areas.

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Shape the future with confidence

‘Research can help make Ireland the safest country in the world’ Writing in eolas Magazine, Ian Marder, Associate Professor in Criminology at Maynooth University, discusses how the Criminal justice Open Research Dialogue (CORD) Partnership can help the sector leverage new and existing research to deliver better public services. Does increasing police officer numbers reduce crime or the fear of crime? Or is this a question of how they are working and the relationships they build? Can supervised injection facilities reduce harm to local residents, as well as to people who use drugs? If we could find additional resources for violence prevention, what gives us the biggest ‘bang for our buck’? How do we support victims to recover after serious crime? And what do we know

about the impact of mentoring, social skills training, police-led diversion, and post-custody resettlement programmes on youth offending? These are questions of vital importance to Ireland. In 1983, comparative criminologist Freda Adler included Ireland in Nations Not Obsessed with Crime. For years, Ireland bucked the trends of our Anglo-American neighbours, keeping imprisonment rates relatively low and criminal justice

policy relatively insulated from electoral politics. Now, although just 2 per cent of voters cited crime as the most important issue in exit polls following the 2024 general election, harrowing incidents continually capture the public and political discourse. A September 2026 Central Statistics Office survey found that people are increasingly worried about becoming victimised. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice, Home

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Affairs and Migration is working through a packed schedule of high-stakes legislation and capital investment.

However, this assumes that the research is available at a time and in a format that it can be used. In reality, we often lack the time and the contacts to find the right information, ask the right people the right questions, and make the most of each other’s expertise. A dedicated structure is required to build relationships and facilitate knowledge exchange among research, policy, and practice.

Research-policypractice engagement Ireland’s criminal justice research capacity has grown, both in researchperforming organisations and in the criminal justice sector. However, our infrastructure for connecting research, policy, and practice remains underdeveloped. The CORD Partnership is a researchpolicy-practice partnership, providing a dedicated resource for all those who wish to collaborate to design, develop, and use research for the benefit of society. Since it was established in 2024, CORD has played a unique, innovative role; building bridges and creating opportunities to share knowledge and strengthen cooperation.

This is not about universities and criminal justice agencies trying to tell each other what to do. It is a space for open conversations about what we find important, and how we can share knowledge to help society. It is about understanding each other’s working environments better so we can find ways to collaborate that respect each other’s boundaries.

government departments, researchers, and charities to work on applied projects of major societal importance and helped researchers to get evidence-based recommendations into Oireachtas Committee reports. Into 2027, we will continue to deliver programmes that work well and pilot support mechanisms for organisations to develop their areas of research interest. We can also be contacted by anyone working in criminal justice to support the use of research and data for the public good.

Co-creating a plan for engagement

Benefitting from research into the future

Most research is not formatted to permit its use. We often fail to identify the practical implications of our findings and lack the relationships and the understanding of policy and practice settings to ensure our work can benefit society. This gap in ‘research translation’ requires academics to learn more about the pressures and working environments of the organisations we study.

This is not to say there are easy answers. Preventing and responding to intimate partner violence, for example, requires different methods than youth violence. But we must start from the idea that preventing crime and helping victims are important enough to require attention to evidence.

Likewise, public bodies and charities often lack the resources to identify and use research in their work. Especially if organisations are security focused, it can be difficult to build a learning culture involving external, open engagement. This is why CORD cocreated a set of working principles so that everyone can feel more comfortable working together. The principles include connecting and discussing criminal justice on an equal footing, respecting each other’s skills and knowledge, and understanding each other’s capacities and constraints.

CORD brings together 61 organisations working across the criminal justice sector with the aim of “supporting positive social change by embedding a culture of open research in criminal justice in Ireland”. We do this by building relationships and trust, providing a platform for dialogue, and supporting collaborative research.

Based on these principles, the Department of Justice hosted a workshop to devise an action plan. We now have schemes through which organisations can seek syntheses of research, individuals can undertake study visits to other agencies, and researchers can receive mentoring and support to communicate the practical implications of their work.

CORD partners are from a range of sectors, organisation types, and professional backgrounds. We work with over 70 researchers from at least 17 disciplines and 18 research institutions, as well as six government

All activities are designed to ensure that they do not compromise researchers’ independence or agencies’ operational responsibilities. At the same time, we helped build partnerships between

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In a context where public concern about safety is high and our justice system is rapidly changing, we need instant access to the best available knowledge about how to prevent crime and respond effectively when it happens. Fortunately, we have decades of research from around the world that can inform policy and practice.

departments and national policymaking bodies, 10 criminal justice agencies and oversight bodies, and numerous community-based organisations.

CORD itself is deeply informed by evidence. Our activities are underpinned by learning from visits to police research partnerships in England and Scotland, workshops on research translation, and a review of best practice in partnership establishment. Change moves at the speed of trust. So much can be gained from open conversations with people who look at the same problems from different angles. Through these conversations, existing data and research can be leveraged. We can engage in dialogue to help each other tease out problems, interpret complex information, and cocreate activities of mutual interest and social benefit. With the support of sectoral leaders, we can work together to move the needle. After all, why should we aim for anything less than to be the safest country in the world? Ian Marder has been an Associate Professor in Criminology at Maynooth University since 2018.

The benefits of better public services across the justice system justice report

years) on the 50 busiest pages, making the information more accessible to more users. Users also now stay on information pages longer.

Improving access to probate A busy area for the Courts Service is probate, which at some point has an impact on most families. Every year, over 20,000 applications for probate are lodged and most deal with the sale of property. The Government’s Housing for All plan identified the long processing times for probate as one issue which impacted on the housing situation. One of the main problems with the probate process was the paper-based system, with a lot of potential for errors.

Emer Darcy, Head of Strategy and Reform Directorate in the Courts Service.

After five years of sowing modernisation seeds, the Courts Service is beginning to realise user benefits.

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“Advocacy groups and member representative organisations are starting to feed back that our approach to codesigning information and services with users in mind is making a difference,” says Emer Darcy, Head of Strategy and Reform Directorate in the Courts Service.

make the courts system easier to understand, easier to access, and easier to use.”

Making the court system easier to understand

Legacy technology, fragmented systems, paper-based processes, and inconsistent user experiences were limiting the organisation’s ability to meet the expectations of a modern society. Today, those foundations are starting to enable the delivery of more accessible, efficient, and user-focused services.

The Courts Service redesigned courts.ie with users for users. It applied accessibility standards and redeveloped the website to be fully responsive across all devices. The Courts Service worked with the National Adult Literacy Agency and rewrote its information pages in plain language. Legal terms, where essential, were given plain language explanations.

Darcy continues: “Modernisation is not simply about introducing technology. It is about improving how people experience and interact with the courts system. Whether users are working in the courts every day or attending for one day, our objective is the same: to

The redeveloped courts.ie received a 100 per cent accessibility score from the National Disability Authority in its 2025 EU Web Accessibility Directive report. The average reading age on courts.ie is 13 years (down from 21

With government support, the Courts Service prioritised the digitalisation of grants of probate applications on their new online Courts Portal to address some of these issues and reduce errors. Data sharing between Revenue and Courts Service systems has also reduced the complexity of the application process for users. Taking an incremental approach, the new online Courts Portal was launched on 2 June 2026 to solicitors to apply for grants of probate. Within 100 days of the launch date, 45 per cent of all grants of probate applications are being filed online by solicitors. The error rate on these applications has dropped by 50 per cent with online applications being processed within five weeks. Owen Harrison, Chief Information Officer of the Courts Service, says: “By the end of the year we will include applications for intestacy on the Courts Portal. This will mean that solicitors will be able to file the vast majority of probate application types online. We are encouraged by the strong uptake of the new online service, which reflects the time and effort solicitors have put into helping shape an online journey that works not only for the Courts Service, but also for them.”

Improving access to justice Harrison continues: “At the moment, we have Circuit Court family law and grants of probate applications on the portal. We are continuing to roll out our unified case management system (UCMS), which supports the portal, across more of our internal operational areas.

“Crime is a complex area, with many interdependencies across the justice sector. This is, therefore, a significant enabling step in modernising the courts and supporting future reform across the criminal justice system. “Following the transition of Circuit Court crime, we will move to other areas and continue expanding capabilities on the portal. We are starting to see real, positive change for court users, and we will continue building on this momentum.”

Making the court system easier to use From user insights, the Courts Service understood that family law forms for protection orders, domestic violence, and maintenance in the District Court were difficult for people to understand. Taking a service design approach, they redesigned new forms with internal and external users. The Courts Service worked with the rules committees to ensure a legal basis for the new forms.

The Courts Service has also invested heavily in courtroom technology in recent years, with 176 courtrooms now video enabled. This gives court users more options in how they engage with the courts and helps to remove barriers

Owen Harrison, Chief Information Officer of the Courts Service

“We are starting to see real, positive change for court users, and we will continue building on this momentum.” to access to justice. The same user-centred approach is reflected on courts.ie, where the availability of virtual views of courtrooms is helping people better understand what to expect before attending court. Speaking about these supports, Harrison says: “Practical supports can make a real difference. Whether it is giving a vulnerable witness the option to provide evidence from outside the courtroom, or helping someone see the building, courtroom, and supports available in advance, the focus is on making the courts more accessible, understandable, and easier to engage with.

role seven years ago, envisaged with her senior management team “a modern, transparent, and accessible courts system that would be more efficient, easier to use, and designed around the needs of the people it serves”. She says: “Our foundational achievements have enabled the Courts Service to deliver practical benefits, making meaningful improvements for court users, practitioners, justice sector partners, the judiciary, and society as a whole.”

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Speaking about the introduction of the new forms, Darcy says: “We understand from our Civic Society members that users are now filling out these forms themselves, without having to retell and relive their trauma. This is a real and impactful benefit for users. We have taken a similar approach with updating the relatively new civil restraining order forms, which we hope to introduce later this year.”

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“Already, 48 of our 148 legacy back office systems have been transitioned to our new system, up from just one in 2023. This month, our legacy Circuit Court crime system is transitioning to UCMS.

W: www.courts.ie

“Our investment in technology is not about technology for its own sake; it is about improving access to justice and better supporting the people who use the courts.”

Looking ahead Angela Denning, Chief Executive Officer of the Courts Service on taking up the 43

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Gary Gannon TD: ‘Prison should be a place of intervention, not a revolving door’ We should think about prisons in the same way we think about hospitals. We would never accept a health system where someone entered unwell and came out in a worse condition. We would call it a failure, writes Social Democrats justice spokesperson Gary Gannon TD. But when it comes to prisons, we have somehow allowed ourselves to accept exactly that outcome. Most people who enter our prison system will eventually return to their communities. So, are they less likely to cause harm when they come out? Right now, far too often, the answer is no. Prison should be a point of intervention. A place where offending is absolutely confronted, but so is addiction, trauma, and mental ill health. Instead, we warehouse people, release them with the same problems, and act surprised when they return.

Earlier this year, we learned that there are about 4,000 people with addiction issues in Irish prisons. We also learned that the Irish Prison Service employs no dedicated full-time addiction nurses. Not one. What do we imagine happens when somebody offends to feed an addiction, is imprisoned without treatment, and is released into the exact same circumstances? They cycle through the courts, through prison, and back into the community. Then back before the courts again.

We need properly staffed addiction and mental health services in every single prison, with treatment continuing after release, with no exceptions.

Yet every time I make this argument, the same accusation – ‘soft on crime’ – arrives. The suggestion during the various back and forths I have had with the Minister in the chamber on the topic is that I want to release dangerous criminals. I have no difficulty with somebody losing their liberty for a heinous offence.

A properly supervised community sanction can involve a myriad of interventions. It can require somebody to confront the harm they caused, comply with treatment, and rebuild their life. It carries consequences. It also offers something a crowded cell so often fails to do; a realistic chance that there will not be another victim. And is that not the whole point of a wellfunctioning justice system? When the Inspector of Prisons appeared before the Justice Committee back in January 2026, he described the

at the moment it matters. Then, years later, politicians arrive to boast about locking them up. Successive governments have stripped communities of youth services, family supports, and opportunities, then watched children fall through gaps everybody knew were there. Punishing the consequence might produce a headline. It does not erase the failure. Finally, I would establish a citizens’ assembly on prisons and penal reform. We are not short of reports, evidence, or people who know where the system is breaking down.

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We also need to radically reduce our reliance on short prison sentences. In 2024, 77 per cent of sentence committals were for 12 months or less. That sentence can cost somebody their home, job, and stability, while offering no chance of meaningful rehabilitation.

We ask social workers to meet people in the wreckage of their lives. To see the person behind the worst thing they may have done. To find the thread of possibility that remains when almost everyone else has let go. Then we deny them the resources to do it.

We lack the political courage to ask: what do we actually want prison to achieve? A citizens’ assembly could hear from victims, frontline professionals, and

“I object to accepting a system that takes damaged people, does almost nothing about what brought them there, and returns them to society in a worse position.” Social Democrats justice spokesperson Gary Gannon TD Victims deserve justice and some people must be removed from society because of the danger they pose. But if somebody is imprisoned again and again for theft or another relatively minor offence, at what point do we ask whether the sentence is working? Despite the clear desire for showman optics from the Minister, there is nothing tough about repeating an intervention that has already failed. Criminologist Ian Marder has done Trojan work on restorative justice and community sanctions over the last number of years, and I would highly recommend anyone who wants to learn more about the topic to look up his work. I would put evidence such as the countless reports by Marder and others into action by properly resourcing the Probation Service. A service which contains some of the most underpraised people in our justice system and indeed our society: social workers.

most inhumane and degrading conditions. Overcrowding, he told us, was undermining safety, mental health care, and rehabilitation. That evidence should have been a watershed moment.

people with lived experience. It could examine overcrowding, community sanctions, mental health diversion, and what has reduced reoffending elsewhere.

There is another part of this conversation that begins long before an adult prison. It begins in childhood.

It could give Ireland a publicly supported vision for a system judged by its outcomes rather than the number pushed through its gates.

The forthcoming Youth Justice Strategy needs to be earth shatteringly different. We are constantly hearing about a crisis in antisocial behaviour among teenagers – mostly young boys – on scramblers, or joyriding stolen cars. We need to ask how a child reaches that point. Children do not fall into the criminal justice system from nowhere. The path is always marked by poverty, trauma, school exclusion, unmet needs, exploitation by adults, and a care system without the placements or staff to keep children safe.

I have no objection to prisons existing. I object to accepting a system that takes damaged people, does almost nothing about what brought them there, and returns them to society in a worse position. Every person who does not reoffend means another person who does not become a victim. If our prisons are going to exist, they must be places of intervention, and the measure of their success should be how few people ever need to return.

The State can be present at every stage of a child’s life and still fail to intervene 45

justice report

Meeting the demands of modern criminal justice Director of Public Prosecutions Catherine Pierse reflects on the developments, challenges, and priorities shaping the modern prosecution service. As criminal investigations generate ever greater volumes of digital evidence and cross-border crime becomes more sophisticated, Ireland’s prosecution service must continually adapt and contribute to criminal justice system reform, while remaining anchored in its core principles. The prosecution service occupies a distinct position within Ireland’s criminal justice system. Decisions made by prosecutors can have profound consequences for victims, accused persons, witnesses, and the wider public. Those decisions must be taken independently, guided only by the evidence, the law, and the public interest. While these principles remain unchanged, the environment in which prosecution services operate continues to evolve rapidly. The increasing complexity of cases coming before the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is one of the defining features of that change. Prosecutors now operate in a landscape characterised by vast quantities of digital evidence, sophisticated criminality, expanding disclosure obligations, and growing international dimensions to investigations.

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The scale of activity illustrates these demands. The Office received almost 17,500 prosecution files in 2025. Of these, almost 12,000 files involving nearly 15,000 suspects related to serious offences requiring directions from specialist prosecutors. Central Criminal Court sitting dates reached 5,663, more than three times the level recorded six years earlier and 8 per cent higher than in 2024. Sitting dates outside Dublin also increased significantly, from 271 in 2019 to 867 in 2025.

The digital evidence era Perhaps the most significant operational challenge facing prosecution services internationally is the growth of digital evidence. Investigations increasingly involve mobile phone downloads, CCTV footage, social media material, financial records, and other electronically stored information. 46

Credit: Cian Redmond

Disclosure has consequently become one of the most complex areas of prosecution practice. Prosecutors must ensure fair trial rights are fully respected while balancing privacy rights and the interests of victims. Recent Supreme Court decisions in WC and AM have reinforced the importance of continually reviewing disclosure practices in response to evolving legal standards. The Office has undertaken significant policy, operational, and training work in this area, including revised guidance and extensive engagement with criminal justice partners.

Modernising behind the scenes Technology presents opportunities as well as challenges. To meet growing digital demands within the criminal justice environment, the Office is progressing a major programme to replace its existing case management system with a modern, flexible platform capable of supporting the prosecution service into the future. This forms part of a broader strategy to strengthen digital capability, ensuring prosecutors have the necessary tools to support effective decision-making and efficient case progression.

When crime crosses borders

Improving the system together The prosecution service also contributes to wider criminal justice policy and reform. The Office engages extensively with the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and other stakeholders, helping to ensure legislative and procedural reforms are informed by practical prosecutorial experience. This approach is reflected in initiatives including the Summary Prosecution Reform Steering Committee and the implementation of the multi-agency Juvenile Protocol, which seeks to reduce delays in the investigation and prosecution of the most serious offences involving children. Initiatives like these demonstrate how better outcomes can be achieved by working together.

Building public understanding Public trust is central to the effective functioning of any prosecution service. While prosecutorial decisions must be made independently, it is also important that the public understands the role of the Office and the basis on which those decisions are made.” Improving that understanding remains an important focus of the Office’s work.

In 2025, the Office received 638 requests for reasons and 245 requests for reviews of decisions not to prosecute. The Office also continues to expand outreach with students, legal professionals, and the wider public.

Investing in people None of this work would be possible without the commitment and professionalism of staff. The Office continues to invest in recruitment, training, specialist expertise, and leadership development to ensure its people are equipped to respond to an increasingly complex environment. Developing and retaining that expertise remains essential to maintaining a highquality prosecution service.

Looking ahead The prosecution landscape will continue to evolve as technological change, growing volumes of digital evidence, and emerging forms of criminality reshape criminal justice. Success will depend not only on adapting to change, but on anticipating it through sustained investment in expertise, innovation, and collaboration, ensuring that the prosecution service is prepared for emerging threats before they fully materialise. The enduring responsibility of the Irish prosecution service remains clear: to deliver a fair, independent, and effective prosecution service on behalf of all the people of Ireland. In a rapidly changing environment, maintaining public confidence will depend on preserving those core principles while continuing to adapt to the demands of modern justice.

W: www.dppireland.ie

This includes engagement with victims of crime who have statutory rights to seek reasons for decisions not to prosecute and to request reviews.

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Many challenges facing prosecutors now extend beyond national borders. Organised crime networks, online offending, international financial transactions, electronic evidence, and the movement of suspects and witnesses increasingly span multiple jurisdictions. Effective prosecution therefore depends on strong international co-operation.

operation) and other international networks plays a vital role in supporting this work. The ODPP continues to be involved in a wide range of international co-operation activities. These include mutual legal assistance requests, extradition, and engagement with emerging European legislative initiatives. As crime becomes more interconnected, our prosecution system must keep pace.

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The ODPP received and reviewed approximately 15 terabytes of evidential material in 2025 alone; equivalent to around three billion PDF pages or three million high-resolution photographs. As the digital footprint of criminal activity expands, so too does the scale and complexity of the evidence that prosecutors must assess and present in court.

Ireland’s engagement through Eurojust (the EU agency for criminal justice co-

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Shape the future with confidence

Tackling domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence New laws have been introduced to create a public register of people convicted of domestic violence against a former or current partner, restrict the disclosure of counselling notes in sexual offences trials, and remove guardianship rights from people convicted of killing their partner or the other parent of their child.

The Domestic Violence Judgments Register Act 2026, signed into law in 2026 and known as Jennie’s Law, is to provide for a public register of judgments on people convicted of domestic violence against a former or current partner. Convictions for serious domestic violence offences are to be publicised as part of the conviction process. The register is to be hosted on the Courts Services’ website under the heading ‘Domestic Violence Register Judgments’. Consent from victims will be required before the convicted person can be named on the register. The law is named in honour of Jennfier Poole who was murdered by her ex-partner, Gavin Murphy, in 2021. Murphy had previously been jailed for two years for attacking a former partner and her mother with a knife in 2015. 48

Trial judges will have discretion to publish a judgment in an appropriate case. This would contain details of conviction and sentence along with other information relevant to the offence deemed appropriate by the judge. The register is to be designed so that people consulting it will be directed towards appropriate supports. Offenders can apply to have their name removed from the register. They can apply no earlier than three years after conviction and the removal of their name is to be at the discretion of a court. Offences encompassed by the bill include murder, manslaughter, rape, assault causing harm, threats to kill, harassment, false imprisonment, and coercive control amongst others.

Counselling notes and ‘sex for rent’ The Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026, signed into law in July 2026, aims to restrict disclosure of counselling notes in sexual offences trials. It is also intended to ensure judges have independent oversight in all cases. The act introduces a presumption of non-disclosure regarding counselling notes. This means the default position is to be that counselling notes are not disclosed. Under the Act, disclosure hearings must take place in all cases, meaning counselling records are only released if the judge decides they contain evidence relevant to legal proceedings.

Shape the future with confidence

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“I believe the laws will have a positive impact in helping to prevent these unacceptable crimes and in making those responsible publicly accountable for their actions while supporting victims and survivors and their families.” Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan TD

A complete ban on the disclosure of counselling records would be unconstitutional, according to advice from the Attorney General’s Office. The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration says such a ban would “likely lead to legal challenges, with convictions potentially being quashed as a result”. This principle will also be applied to other victims’ records containing sensitive data such as medical records and child protection records. The Bill also introduces provision to combat sexual abuse and exploitation. Two criminal offences are to be introduced by the bill: offering accommodation in exchange for sexual activity, known as ‘sex for rent’, and advertising of accommodation in exchange for sexual activity. The Act provides for an application-based legislative scheme for the disregard of certain historical convictions relating to consensual same-sex activity. It also introduces two new offences for which bail can be refused: •

intimidating a person or family of a person assisting a criminal investigation or who is acting as a witness or juror in criminal proceedings; and

•

failing to comply with the notification requirements under the Sex Offenders Act 2001, or refusing or failing to enable fingerprints, palm prints, or photographs to be taken by An Garda Síochána for such requirements.

Valerie’s law The Guardianship of Infants and Child Care (Amendment) Act 2026, known as Valerie’s law is to provide for the removal of guardianship rights from people convicted of killing their partner or the other parent of their child. It is named after Valerie French Kilroy, who was murdered by her husband, James Kilroy, in June 2026. Under the Act, Tusla must apply to the court within six months of the conviction of a guardian for the murder or manslaughter of another guardian of the child. The court may either restrict the power and duties of the convicted guardian or remove convicted guardian from office. It is to be applied to married and unmarried parents, to convictions for murder and manslaughter, and in cases of “very serious offences where one guardian causes harm to another”. The Act may also be applied retrospectively in the cases of murder and manslaughter. Minister Jim O’Callaghan TD says: “Recent tragic events have once again brought the reprehensible scourge of violence against women sharply into public focus. “I believe the laws will have a positive impact in helping to prevent these unacceptable crimes and in making those responsible publicly accountable for their actions while supporting victims and survivors and their families.”

Shape the future with confidence

justice report

Driving towards a more proactive model Anywhere, anytime Australia provides some particularly interesting examples. Queensland’s approach to mobile phone and seatbelt enforcement is built around the proposition that enforcement can take place “anywhere, anytime”. Fixed cameras operate continuously, while portable cameras are moved between urban and regional locations. Highangle imagery looks into the vehicle and artificial intelligence filters images for potential mobile phone and seatbelt offences, before a human officer determines whether an infringement has occurred.

Conor O’Dwyer, Government and Public Sector Partner, EY Ireland, considers how emerging international approaches to technology, connected data, enforcement, and administration are reshaping road safety and the lessons they may offer Ireland.

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Ireland has made enormous progress on road safety over the past three decades. Since the first national Road Safety Strategy in 1998, road deaths have fallen dramatically and, by 2019, Ireland was the second safest EU member state. Better infrastructure, safer vehicles, legislation, enforcement, and changes in public behaviour all played their part. Recent years have, however, proved more challenging, with some reversal of the progress achieved. There were 171 deaths on Irish roads in 2024 and 185 in 2025, an 8 per cent increase. By 2 October 2026, 142 people had already lost their lives, compared with 128 at 50

the same point in 2025. Behind every one of these numbers is a lost life, a family changed forever, and a community left to absorb the consequences. Ireland’s Road Safety Strategy provides the national framework through to 2030, with ambitious targets for reducing deaths and serious injuries. It builds on a strong record of collaboration across the agencies responsible for road safety, policing, and transport. The opportunity now is to continue evolving that framework by drawing on the technology, data, and operating models emerging internationally.

The penalties are also materially higher than their Irish equivalents. Illegal mobile phone use in Queensland currently attracts a A$1,295 fine and four demerit points. The point is not that Ireland should replicate another jurisdiction’s penalty schedule. What is interesting is the combination: technology increases the likelihood of detection while a meaningful sanction reinforces the deterrent. As Joe Le, EY’s Global Road Safety Lead, observes: “Technology influences behaviour when it changes the driver’s expectation of being caught. The objective is not simply more cameras; it is a system in which unsafe behaviour is consistently visible, enforceable, and difficult to rationalise away.”

From hindsight to foresight Perhaps the more significant development internationally is the move from understanding collisions after they happen towards identifying risk earlier. Australia is increasingly connecting information traditionally held in separate parts of the system.

Shape the future with confidence

International benchmarking undertaken by EY found Australian models integrating transport, police, and health information, with fatality data shared frequently and serious injury information brought together through cross-agency databases. Integrated systems can then be used to identify high-risk areas and target interventions.

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That requires more than technology. Effective data sharing depends on agreed ownership, access rights, privacy and legal safeguards, common definitions, and a secure platform through which organisations can exchange information. AI adds another dimension. Rather than simply producing better dashboards, advanced analytics can look across large datasets for patterns in behaviour, road conditions, and network performance, potentially highlighting emerging risks before they translate into collisions. Australian research involving Transport for NSW, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia is examining how connected vehicle data, telematics, and AI can support more proactive and predictive network management. The longer-term frontier may be vehiclegenerated data itself. Modern connected vehicles can generate information on speed, braking, acceleration, location, and other driving characteristics. Australia has established an industry-government working group involving road authorities and vehicle manufacturers to examine how aggregated and anonymised vehicle data could generate public value, particularly for road safety. The potential is significant: moving from asking, “where did collisions happen?” towards “where is risk beginning to emerge?”

International experience is also interesting from an operating-model perspective. In New South Wales, Revenue NSW rather than the police manages much of the downstream administration associated with fines, including payment, review, and recovery.

Germany offers a further variation: traffic offences may be detected by police or another authority, while administrative Bußgeldstellen, or fine offices, undertake the subsequent infringement process. The precise institutional model varies across Germany. None provides a blueprint that can simply be lifted and applied to Ireland. They do, however, illustrate an important design choice: policing an offence and administering every subsequent step do not necessarily need to sit in the same place.

As Le reflects, drawing on the internationally recognised Safe System approach to road safety: “A Safe System does not assume perfect road users. It creates layers of protection around human fallibility, while building a culture in which dangerous behaviour becomes socially unacceptable.” The international picture suggests there will be no single breakthrough. What is emerging instead is a more connected model: pervasive but proportionate technology, compliant multi-agency data, AI-enabled insight, better use of connected vehicles, effective enforcement, and operating models that allow specialist resources to concentrate on the activities where they add most value.

Culture change is the destination

For Ireland, the opportunity is less about importing any one model and more about continuing to learn from what is working elsewhere and considering where those insights can complement the substantial road-safety work already under way at home.

Technology, data, and organisational design are ultimately enablers. The real objective is safer behaviour.

W: www.ey.com/en_ie

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Who needs to do what?

The Netherlands provides another model. Once an investigative body establishes a traffic offence, the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB) sends and collects the fine and manages subsequent enforcement of nonpayment.

Ireland has demonstrated before that road user culture can evolve. Drink driving and seatbelt use show how legislation, enforcement, education, and changing social attitudes can reinforce one another until behaviour once tolerated becomes unacceptable.

Shape the future with confidence

Crime and justice

in numbers justice report

These figures have been compiled using data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the Courts Service.

Crime and victimisation 19% were victims of personal crime including theft, fraud, and physical assault • up from 10% in 2019

11% were affected by fraud in 2025 • up from 4% in 2019 Reporting of personal crime fell from 39% in 2019 to 30% in 2024

57% viewed gardaí as very or quite effective at tackling crime in their local area • down from 68% in 2019 Source: CSO, Crime and Victimisation 2025, September 2026

Recorded crime Change in recorded crime incidents in the 12 months to Q2 2026: • Homicide and related offences: -9% • Sexual offences: -19% • Burglary and related offences: -6% • Robbery, extortion, and hijacking: +4% • Dangerous or negligent acts: +11% • Weapons and explosives offences: +6% Source: CSO, Recorded Crime Q2 2026, October 2026

Shape the future with confidence

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Recorded crime detection • Males were the suspected offender for most crime incidents marked detected in

Findings from Courts Service Annual Report 2025

2024. •

• The proportion of male suspected offenders in type:

were presented to the courts

2024 by offence •

sexual offences:

kidnapping and related

• offences: o

offences: o

94%

weapons and explosives

92%

burglary and related offences:

29,611 serious crime cases were finalised, up 22% from 2022 150,766

• The courts completed civil cases during the year

• District Court drugs cases increased by

90% Of detected crime incidents of theft,

337,416 criminal matters were resolved

99%

379,262 new criminal matters

8% year on year

• Public order and assault cases increased by

37% of suspected offenders were

11% over two years

• Road traffic offences decreased by

female

22% compared with 2019

Most suspected offenders for reported crime incidents marked

18-44 when

detected were aged the offence took place

Source: CSO, Recorded Crime Detection 2024, November 2025

•

58% of 444 rape sentences imposed were for terms of 10 years or more

Source: Courts Service Annual Report 2025, July 2026 53

Restorative Justice Week 2026

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November is an important month in the restorative justice calendar. Across the world there is a focus on repairing relationships, rebuilding trust, and strengthening communities through victimfocused responses to crime, culminating in Restorative Justice Week 2026. Fíona Ní Chinnéide, Director of Operations, The Probation Service

In Ireland, the Probation Service, working with the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, and a network of community-based organisations, is at the forefront of delivering and expanding access to restorative justice nationwide. At its core, restorative justice empowers victims by giving them a voice and an opportunity to meet or communicate with offenders to explain the impact of a crime. It also holds those who have caused harm accountable while supporting them to take responsibility and make amends. Restorative justice is used with both adults and young people, can be considered for almost all types of crime, and can be used at all stages of the criminal justice process. Restorative justice interventions are not one-size-fits-all and may include victim empathy programmes, letters of apology or explanation, bespoke interventions, voluntary work, conferences, shuttle mediation, and victim-offender dialogues and meetings.

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Nor is restorative justice a soft option. It is a distinctive approach within the criminal justice system that focuses on accountability, empathy and placing victims at the centre of a structured and meaningful process. International evidence finds that restorative justice has positive outcomes for victims in terms of improved satisfaction with the criminal justice process, and for people who have offended in terms of reduced reoffending.

Restorative justice has deep historical roots and has long been used by societies to promote healing, reconciliation and understanding through dialogue involving victims, offenders and communities.

Support, access, and signposting “Restorative justice is a key component of the criminal justice system delivered in communities, for the benefit of communities,” says Fíona Ní Chinnéide, Deputy Director of the Probation Service. She adds that strengthening a victim-sensitive approach through restorative justice principles is a core strategic priority for the Service. The Probation Service delivers restorative justice directly and through a nationwide network of communitybased organisations (CBOs) that receive referrals at key stages of the criminal justice process. Established in 2018, the Restorative Justice and Victim Services Unit (RJVSU) is a specialised multidisciplinary unit within the Probation Service. It acts as a central point of contact for victims seeking information or access to restorative justice, while also providing support and training to Probation teams nationwide.

Policy and practice At legislative and policy level, there is broad support for expanding restorative justice. The Children Act 2001 and the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 underpin access to restorative

justice and ensure that victims are informed of available services. This commitment is reflected in the Programme for Government and in the Probation Service’s Restorative Justice Action Plan 2025-2027, which aims to increase referrals, victim engagement, and access nationally. “Our plan is ambitious in its targets as we aim to increase referrals from the courts, victim contacts and communitylevel engagement by expanding delivery and access through community-based organisations,” says Ní Chinnéide. Collaboration is central to delivering restorative justice and ensuring a consistent, high-quality service nationwide. To support this, the Probation Service chairs the crosssectoral Restorative Justice Forum, established in 2024, which brings criminal justice agencies together to promote awareness, availability and quality standards. Alongside this, the Restorative Justice Network brings together representatives responsible for Probation-funded community-based restorative justice projects. The network supports shared learning, collaboration and service quality. In 2025, five restorative justicefocused community-based organisations received more than €990,000 in funding from the Probation Service. One of the latest initiatives to improve access to restorative justice is a pilot project led by the RJVSU in collaboration with a Community Service team in Dublin.

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The Probation Service’s Restorative Justice Action Plan 2025-2027 aims to increase referrals, victim engagement, and access nationally.

The pilot introduces people subject to Community Service Orders to restorative justice, helping to build victim empathy and awareness of the impact of their offending. Throughout 2025, victim empathy workshops were delivered across the Dublin region. Earlier this year, the Probation Service commenced a landmark project to develop Ireland’s first National Framework of Practice for Restorative Justice. The project is being delivered through Maynooth University’s School of Law and Criminology. Once completed, the framework will provide national best-practice principles for restorative justice delivery and will serve as a resource for practitioners, community-based organisations, policymakers and the wider criminal justice and victim support sectors.

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“I felt supported, respected and heard.”

All participants who had taken part in a restorative justice intervention reported that they were glad they had done so. For more information about the Probation Service Restorative Justice and Victim Services Unit (RJVSU) scan the QR code:

Victims’ voice In recognition of the importance of victims’ experiences, the Probation Service held its first Victim Feedback Circle earlier this year. Codesigned with a victim support organisation and a victim with lived experience of restorative justice, the initiative invited victims who had engaged with the RJVSU during the previous three years to share their perspectives.

Contact the RJVSU: T: 01 817 3600 E: restorative@probation.ie

Just under half of attendees had participated in a restorative justice intervention through the Probation Service, all of whom expressed satisfaction with the process. Participants described restorative justice as an important part of their healing journey: “It helped me in my recovery and was empowering.”

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“It was the first time I felt I had a voice.”

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Shape the future with confidence

Solicitors oppose legal aid reforms Reforms to the criminal legal aid (CLA) system have resulted in widespread solicitor strikes, court closures, and a collapse in the number of cases being processed. Introduced in July 2026, the reforms changed the way solicitors are paid for CLA work, replacing a per-appearance system with a €520 flat fee. Additionally, where a client faces charges for multiple separate incidents but these appear on the same day, the solicitor only receives one €520 flat fee. Under the previous model, solicitors received approximately €240 for a first appearance and €60 for each subsequent appearance. Under this, a solicitor would need to make six appearances before earning more than the flat rate, receiving €540. CLA is the system by which individuals accused of a crime who cannot afford a lawyer are provided state-funded legal representation.

The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration initially proposed a fee of €455 in February 2026, before increasing this to €520 in June 2026 following criticism from the Law Society, the Bar of Ireland, and human rights organisations. The €455 figure was calculated using the value of four appearances under the previous system and adding 8 per cent to restore fees to their pre-2008 financial crisis levels. Four appearances were used to calculate this because the Department’s analysis of 350,000 District Court cases between 2022 and 2023 found that the weighted average number of solicitor appearances in a non-CLA case was 3.24. The equivalent figure for CLA cases was 5.04 appearances, making the €520 fee, which is based on five

appearances, a more accurate reflection of workload. Although, for many offences that attract a large amount of CLA, the average amount of appearances is more than five. Assault, theft, and criminal damage all average more than six appearances and in more than 75 per cent of those cases, CLA is used.

Need for reform? In January 2025, the Government committed to CLA reform in the PfG as expenditure on the system had increased substantially in the previous decade. Total CLA expenditure reached €120.6 million in 2025, a 35 per cent increase from €89.45 million in 2024. The total CLA expenditure has increased by €70 million (137 per cent) since 2015.

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This dramatic rise was driven mainly by a substantial increase in use. In 2025, 98,617 CLA certificates were issued in the District Courts, compared with 53,937 in 2015, an 83 per cent increase.

The Department’s analysis identified several other drivers of increased expenditure:

Matt Carthy TD, Sinn Féin justice spokesperson

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increase in crimes that attract CLA;

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defendants frequently receiving multiple CLA certificates for charges heard on the same day and arising out of the same incident;

When the reforms were introduced in July 2026, 55 of the 885 solicitors on the CLA panel resigned, while hundreds of solicitors across the country withdrew their services. Striking solicitors are only acting in cases where the defendants are in custody or with children involved.

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multiple certificates being distributed among solicitors in the same firm; and

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CLA cases averaging higher number of appearances than nonCLA cases.

The analysis also found that CLA cases took substantially longer to complete, averaging 313 calendar days, compared to 133 days for non-CLA cases. The Department’s report was heavily criticised by legal professionals for failing to consider the realities and complexities of cases, particularly those involving vulnerable clients. Reacting to the report, Law Society president Rosemarie Loftus said: “This is not evidence-based policy analysis. It is anecdote deployed as accusation. “It is worrying in the extreme that this non-evidence-based analysis is being used to support this flawed proposal from the Department of Justice.” Loftus told the Oireachtas Committee on Justice that the reforms may stop solicitors from taking on more complex CLA cases such as those involving juveniles or people with mental health difficulties as they usually last longer and can require substantially more work.

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Figures released by the Department to Business Plus outline how solicitor’s CLA fees increased by 27 per cent from 2024 to 2025, from €48.08 million to €60.88 million, while payments to barristers rose by 51 per cent from €36 million to €54.42 million. Together, solicitors’ and barristers’ fees accounted for 96 per cent of CLA expenditure in 2025.

“This dispute is of the Minister’s own making. He insisted on unilaterally introducing a one-size-fits-all payment model that fails to reflect the complexity of cases coming before the courts and misunderstands how the District Court system operates in practice.”

A judicial review challenge to the reforms was also launched in July 2026 by solicitor John Quinn who claims they are unconstitutional. The High Court was due to deliver its judgment on 13 October 2026, but this has been postponed until 3 November 2026. The strikes have had significant impact on the courts, with thousands of criminal trials, including rape and murder cases, adjourned across the entire country. This has caused disarray across all court divisions. No trials took place at Dundalk and Drogheda Circuit Courts in the first week of the new legal term in October 2026 because of the solicitors’ strike. The Law Society said that only 702 CLA certificates were granted in July 2026, a 93 per cent drop from the 10,277 issued in July 2025. On 5 October 2026, more than 200 solicitors and barristers protested outside the Courts of Criminal Justice in Dublin. They called for separate CLA certificates for cases arising from separate dates, capped at five per

defendant, per court, and per day. Also, they requested that an additional further CLA certificate be granted once a case reaches more than 10 appearances. The Law Society has also consistently called for an independent mediator to be appointed and for Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan TD to engage in discussions. He has refused, saying that it would not be appropriate to enter discussions until after the High Court ruling has been made. The Minister maintains that the reforms are working, saying in October 2026, that there have been more than 2,400 CLA certificates issued since their introduction, with 75 per cent concluding “in one day” and 99 per cent concluding within five appearances. With mediation between the two parties not going to occur, it appears that this dispute will continue until the High Court’s decision on 3 November 2026. The Irish Times reports that if the court upholds the reforms, many solicitors will return to work. Speaking on 5 October 2026, Sinn Féin’s justice spokesperson, Matt Carthy TD said: “This dispute is of the Minister’s own making. He insisted on unilaterally introducing a one-size-fitsall payment model that fails to reflect the complexity of cases coming before the courts and misunderstands how the District Court system operates in practice.”

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Addressing overcrowded prisons Speakers at launch of PIPS including representatives from IPRT, Irish Prison Service, Probation Service, Office of the Inspector of Prisons, and National Forensic Mental Health Services.

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Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) research demonstrates we need a whole-ofgovernment response to address our prison overcrowding crisis writes Saoirse Brady.

Each year, the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT)’s Progress in the Penal System (PIPS) report takes stock of 35 standards across the penal system. The 2025 edition makes for difficult reading as we saw progress in only one standard while there was roll-back in 21 standards.

Following its 2024 visit to Ireland, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) clearly recommended that once a prison reaches capacity, then no one else should be admitted to that facility. The CPT also called on the Irish Government to address the overuse of pre-trial detention (remand).

We assessed the remaining 11 as either mixed progress or no change. For years now, the Irish Prison Service (IPS) has been treading water but is clearly sinking under the sheer weight of prison numbers. This means that even when the IPS makes attempts towards positive change, and introduces constructive measures, they are all too often undermined by the unsustainable strain caused by prison overcrowding.

However, in 2025 the average operating capacity across the prison estate was 117 per cent, one in five people in prison were on remand and three quarters of the prison population were serving short sentences of less than a year. Unfortunately, these trends continue unabated in 2026. The 2025 PIPS report shines a spotlight on access to mental healthcare in prison. While institutionalisation in Ireland has a long and dark past, unfortunately due to

limited alternatives and a lack of pathways into the healthcare system, we routinely see people imprisoned who require dedicated psychiatric care or access to mental health community supports. The housing and homelessness crisis only exacerbates this phenomenon. IPRT is extremely concerned that prisons are acting as inadequate waiting rooms for people with psycho-social disabilities and mental health challenges with nowhere else to go. This is particularly pertinent when it comes to the remand population. In July 2026, IPRT published Rethinking Remand: An assessment of pre-trial detention practices in Ireland. In 2025, three out of four people held on remand did not go on to serve a sentence. The research indicated a disproportionate use of remand custody for people experiencing homelessness, mental illness, addiction and poverty for minor offences. Clearly this puts unnecessary strain on a prison system that does not have the capacity to provide a bed for everyone in its care and has to resort to using mattresses rolled out on the cell floor beside a communal toilet. Imprisonment in itself is a traumatic experience, but for people who have not been found guilty of any offence or who do receive any custodial sentence, they face profound and unnecessary costs in terms of their family relationships,

employment, accommodation, mental health and wellbeing. While there are clear legal reasons for custodial remand, IPRT questions why so many people are held in pre-trial detention for minor offences and ultimately released without conviction. Similarly, we question why so many committals to prison are for short periods of time – weeks or months – when this can have long-lasting and sometimes lifelong consequences which do little to prevent reoffending or treat the underlying root causes of crime.

justice report

The State clearly recognises the transformative power of early intervention and prevention to address many of the societal issues that intersect with the criminal justice system: poverty, deprivation, homelessness, mental illness, addiction, and structural inequality. Instead of continuing to pour money into an overstretched criminal justice system or expanding the prison estate, the Government should join the dots and redirect investment into diversion and non-custodial alternatives that work. Its primary focus must be on investing in people and communities. Rather than spending €103,000 annually to imprison one individual, these resources would be far better spent addressing the reasons why that person ended up in a prison cell in the first place, especially when short custodial sentences rarely facilitate meaningful change. All too often, when we speak of the people in our criminal justice system, we encounter a siloed response from other government departments and agencies. A person-centred approach requires interagency collaboration as these individuals are not solely the responsibility of the Department of Justice nor the criminal justice agencies.

now judges will be obliged to consider community service instead of a custodial sentence of up to two years and will have to provide reasons for their decisions. The review of Ireland’s bail laws provides an avenue to address the overuse of remand and to legislate to improve access to therapeutic bail and ensure that local psychiatric hospitals are equipped and obliged to accept transfers of people with mental health difficulties from prison where appropriate. Both the Prison In Court Liaison Service (PICLS) and the Community Access Support Teams (CAST) pilot in Limerick have demonstrated that they can mitigate the number of individuals with mental illness ending up in prison, but both require expansion and formalisation, to ensure they can continue this crucial work.

IPRT believes there are real opportunities for systemic reform starting with the enactment of the Criminal Law, Civil Law and Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026 as

People cannot continue to be punished for the failures of the State to provide for them in the first place. What is needed now is a redirection of justice investment to provide secure homes, better access to healthcare, an adequate income,

Scan the QR code to read the full report

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IPRT’s research clearly outlines a myriad of reasons why people come into contact with the criminal justice system, very often linked to adverse childhood experiences, trauma or circumstances underpinned by poverty, inequality or homelessness. People continue to fall through the cracks, sometimes with tragic consequences, even when they are known to services.

alternative education supports and youth work opportunities. This can only be achieved through a whole-ofgovernment approach and interagency working backed by the political will to take a different approach to deliver a more proportionate, humane and effective system.

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Tackling economic crime and corruption The Strategy to combat Economic Crime and Corruption, published in September 2026, finds that economic crime and corruption is “relentlessly evolving” with the aid of advances in data and new technology including AI. In a vague document, the strategy identifies a “significant threat” posed by advances in technology, data, and AI, but also states that these advancements provide opportunities in tackling economic crime and corruption. The strategy aims to protect the state from emerging threats including “cyber-enabled and cross-border criminal activity” through five strategic objectives. Objective one is to improve collection, analysis, and use of data to identify emerging threats and support policymaking. In line with this, a systemic approach to data collection and analysis is to be developed. Legislation to detect and deter bidrigging in public procurement is also to be introduced. The second objective is to develop a stronger cross-sectoral approach through enhanced cooperation and information-sharing. “Fragmented actions, limited information-sharing, and a lack of cross-sectoral and cross-functional understanding are the oxygen feeding criminal enterprise,” the strategy finds. In line with objective two, enhanced public-private partnerships to better

prevent, detect, and pursue economic crime are to be established. Legislation to facilitate private-to-private information sharing is also to be introduced. Objective three is to ensure investigators and prosecutors have the required skills and tools to tackle economic crime and corruption. The strategy recommends options be examined to improve efficiencies in prosecuting economic crime cases. This includes the consideration of deferred prosecution agreements and other non-trial resolution measures. Objective four is to strengthen capacity to seize and confiscate criminal assets. While it praises the State’s existing legislative and institutional framework for pursuing domestic criminal assets, it states: “Future success is dependent on the ability to facilitate investigators to identify, trace, and seize illicit assets on a transnational basis.” In line with this, confiscation provisions under the Criminal Justice Act 1994 are to be examined and participation in the EU Asset Recovery and Confiscation Directive is to be assessed. The Council of Europe’s Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds of Crime is to be ratified.

The significant threat posed by an increasingly digitalised, online society and advancements in technology, data, and artificial intelligence were regularly cited, but so too were the opportunities of these developments to all those committed to tackling economic crime and corruption, including law enforcement, regulators, the private sector, and civil society. Objective five is to promote prevention through education, public awareness, and increased compliance measures. The strategy recommends the development of campaigns to raise awareness of fraud and scams. In his ministerial foreword in the strategy, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan TD says: “Economic crime and corruption pose a serious and evolving threat to our society, undermining public trust, distorting markets, and weakening confidence in our institutions. “This National Economic Crime and Corruption Strategy represents a significant step forward in strengthening Ireland’s capacity to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute economic crime and corruption.”

National Retrofitting Conference 2026 Tuesday 24th November · The Johnstown Estate, Co. Meath Sponsored by

In partnership with

The National Retrofitting Conference, now in its sixth year, will convene key players involved in the Government’s ambitious area-based, one-stop-shop approach to retrofitting. The objective of the conference is to discuss progress to date and to share any learning from the implementation of the programme. It is also relevant to those organisations that may be interested in getting involved.

Speakers include: Ciaran Byrne, Director of National Retrofit Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland

Catherine Lonergan Director of Customer and Commercial Bord Gáis Energy

Darrell Crowe Head of Business Development SSE Airtricity

Brian Carroll Assistant Secretary Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment

Susan Vickers Head of Environmental Sustainability Clúid Housing

Lenny Antonelli Project Manager Irish Green Building Council

Dara Stewart Head of Delivery Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland

Deirdre Duffy CEO Friends of the Earth

Eamonn Brownlee Head of National Retrofit Programmes SSE Airtricity

Exhibition opportunities available! There are a limited number of opportunities for interested organisations to partner with the conference as an exhibitor. This is an excellent way for organisations to raise their profile with a key audience of senior decision-makers and stakeholders from across Ireland. For more information on packages available at the event contact us on 01 661 3755 or email rebecca.sterritt@energyireland.ie

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Planning report

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Minister of State John Cummins TD:

‘Planning should not become a barrier to delivery’ Since becoming Minister of State with responsibility for planning, one of my priorities has been to get under the hood of our planning system, to understand where the blockages are, why they exist and, most importantly, what we can do to fix them, writes Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Local Government and Planning, John Cummins TD. Planning matters. It shapes our communities and ensures that development happens in a considered way. However, planning should not become a barrier to delivery. In recent years, there has been a growing perception and, in some cases, a reality that the planning system is too slow, too complex, and too difficult to navigate. My approach has been straightforward: identify the problems, find practical solutions, and make changes that help people deliver the homes and infrastructure our country needs, while maintaining the integrity of the planning system. That means removing unnecessary steps where they add little value, freeing up resources where they are needed most, and giving people greater certainty around timeframes and what should be permissible and what is not. 64

One of the clearest examples has been the work we have undertaken on planning exemptions. People often want to make modest changes to their homes and that should not precipitate a lengthy planning process and all that it entails in terms of resources. Whether it is building an extension to meet the changing needs of the household or carrying out other small-scale works, people should not be faced with unnecessary red tape, expense, and delay where the impact of the development is limited. The changes to exempted development are about getting that balance right. By taking appropriate categories of smallscale development out of the planning system, we are giving homeowners more freedom while also allowing planning authorities to concentrate their time and

expertise on the applications that require detailed assessment. That is better for the homeowner and better for the planning system. Tied to these reforms is the ability to build or install a detached garden home between 32 sq/m to 45 sq/m to the rear of your primary dwelling. This is about giving people more flexibility in how they use their land and how families live. For some families, it can provide an opportunity for older parents to right-size while remaining close to their children and their community. For others, it can allow an adult family member with a disability to have greater independence and privacy while still having the reassurance of family nearby. Whatever the make up of the arrangement, the policy direction is to facilitate sensible housing solutions.

planning report

“My job is to make the system work better, to remove unnecessary barriers, give people greater certainty, and ensure our resources are focused where they add most value.” Minister of State for Local Government and Planning John Cummins TD

Planning has to recognise that the way we live is changing. We need a system that can respond to those changing needs. The next phase of this work will focus on infrastructure exemptions. We need to look carefully at where the planning process can be simplified for essential infrastructure and utilities so that necessary development can happen in a speedier fashion. Water, energy, and other essential infrastructure underpin housing delivery, economic growth, and the functioning of our communities. This is not about weakening planning. It is about making sure the planning system is focused on the things that genuinely require planning scrutiny. I am also planning for the future. When I came into this role, one of my priorities was to update the rural and Gaeltacht planning guidelines. For too long, there have been significant differences between local authorities in how they approach oneoff rural housing. That lack of consistency can create uncertainty for families and hold back rural communities. People should have confidence that the planning system is operating according to a clear national framework, rather than finding that the approach can vary significantly depending on which side of a county boundary they live. The draft National Planning Statement provides that certainty. It is currently

undergoing environmental assessment and is expected to be in place early next year. It will help provide greater clarity and consistency across the planning system and ensure that national planning policy keeps pace with the needs of a growing country. But improving the planning system is not simply about changing rules. It is also about ensuring that the organisations responsible for making decisions have the capacity and processes to do their jobs effectively. That includes An Coimisiún Pleanála. The reforms that have taken place at An Coimisiún Pleanála have focused on improving decision-making, strengthening the organisation, and reducing turnaround times. There are positive signs from that work, but there can be no slippage. The Planning and Development Act 2024 provides for significant reform of the planning system, including statutory timelines for consenting processes. As those timelines come into effect, the system needs to be ready to meet them. Certainty matters enormously to communities, homeowners, businesses, and those delivering housing and infrastructure. In the coming weeks, there will be further changes to the planning system designed to accelerate delivery. They will build on the work already underway and continue the process of making the system more efficient, more consistent, and more responsive.

Government will introduce new regulations that will see the introduction of an exclusion threshold when determining whether an environmental impact assessment is required. It should be noted that environmental screening is already undertaken by local authorities in the context of zoning land for residential use and, as a result a level, of duplication is occurring. This will bring certainty, reduce costs, and speed up timeframes when it comes to delivering housing and infrastructure. We cannot accept unnecessary delay as an inevitable feature of planning. Nor should anyone see planning as an obstacle to delivery. My job is to make the system work better, to remove unnecessary barriers, give people greater certainty, and ensure our resources are focused where they add most value. This is the work that is underway, and it will continue. John Cummins TD is Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage with special responsibility for Local Government and Planning. He is a Fine Gael TD representing Waterford, having been elected in 2024.

planning report

Transforming planning through people and partnership An Coimisiún Pleanála is reshaping how Ireland’s national planning body works by improving access, strengthening operational capacity and preparing for a more connected planning system, while protecting the independence and impartiality of our decision-making, write Peter Mullan, Chief Executive Officer and Martin Cotter, Director of Transformation at An Coimisiún Pleanála.

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Transformation at An Coimisiún Pleanála is not about technology for its own sake. It is about providing a better service to the public, making effective use of our resources, and working differently across the planning system. Our Strategic Plan 2026-2028 commits us to being a trusted, effective, and progressive national planning body delivering for the common good. Digital transformation is an important enabler of that ambition. We have taken a deliberate approach to modernisation. We first examine how a process works, identify where unnecessary effort or duplication arises, and how the public and our stakeholders experience it. Only then do we decide how technology can help.

The objective is not to digitise old practices but to question them and consider whether the same statutory and governance objectives can be achieved more simply and efficiently. This is consistent with the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan objective for public bodies to coordinate effectively, simplify processes, and reduce unnecessary administrative burden. Transformation is taking place while normal business continues. Staff are adapting to a new case management system, preparing for further implementation of the Planning and Development Act 2024, digitising case files, and changing long-established processes. Our business experts lead

this work with staff engagement, training, and support built in. Incremental delivery allows us to manage considerable change while maintaining operational continuity. A critical foundation is our new case management system, developed inhouse on modern cloud technology. Planning casework is highly specialised, with distinct processes by case type, internal governance requirements, and changing legislative needs. Retaining development capability in-house gives the Commission the flexibility to adapt the platform as these requirements evolve. That does not mean us building everything ourselves. We develop

bespoke capability where our requirements justify it, while using proven commercial products and shared government services wherever possible.

planning report

Power BI provides our reporting and analytics capability, while our online appeals service was delivered with the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer through shared government ‘digital building blocks’. This service has been live since 20 April 2026, and we now intend to build on that partnership by migrating our existing in-house online observations service to the same shared platform. This approach combines flexibility with the efficiency, interoperability, and economies of scale available through established platforms. It avoids duplication, supports value for money for the taxpayer and creates an architecture able to connect with wider government services and the national digital planning system. The same philosophy is changing how case information is handled. Direct application public files are now published online through an automated process. This allows observations, submissions, and other relevant documentation to be viewed online rather than requiring travel to the Commission or a planning authority office. We are also questioning how information has traditionally moved between the Commission and planning authorities. Instead of simply digitising longestablished practices, we have examined whether the same statutory requirements can be met in a simpler way. Driven by the Commission and agreed through close collaboration with planning authorities and LGMA leadership, we are piloting a ‘publish once, access the authoritative source’ approach.

This is process reform enabled by technology, rather than digitising an existing administrative burden. It can reduce duplication, printing, postage,

and manual handling while maintaining the integrity and accessibility of the planning record. The Commission is also represented on the national digital planning system project board, and this work supports readiness for a more connected planning ecosystem. Data is another important part of the transformation. Power BI is enabling a unified analytics capability across our systems, providing management with timely operational and performance information. We will expand this as new statutory timelines are implemented, supporting more granular analysis, evidence-based resource decisions, and appropriate information-sharing with stakeholders. The next phase will transform how people find information and interact with the Commission. We plan to redevelop our website and public case-search experience, providing near real-time case updates, improved search, and email notifications as cases progress.

We are developing a bespoke AI policy and governance framework for a controlled first use on the collation, categorisation, and summarisation of submissions. AI outputs will be reviewed by people and used only as internal aids. AI will not make decisions, recommend outcomes, or replace professional judgement. Taken together, this is a programme of institutional change: improve the process first, involve the people who understand it, automate where that adds value, reuse shared public service capability, and deliver in manageable stages. Our objective is a more accessible, transparent, and efficient Commission, contributing to faster infrastructure delivery with independent, professional judgement remaining firmly at its centre.

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Rather than planning authorities downloading, renaming, and transferring application documentation to the Commission, documents can remain on their websites and be accessed directly. Similarly, relevant appeal documentation can be published by the Commission rather than being printed and circulated. The pilot allows us to identify operational or regulatory issues and refine the approach before wider implementation.

Peter Mullan, Chief Executive Officer, An Coimisiún Pleanála.

W: www.pleanala.ie/en-ie/home

Artificial intelligence presents another opportunity, but one we are approaching carefully. New statutory timelines, faster processing requirements, and increasingly high submission volumes mean we need to examine how technology can responsibly assist staff. 67

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Implementing the Planning and Development Act Claragh Mulhern, Chief Planner at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, discusses how developments in planning legislation and policy can unlock housing and infrastructure while delivering on the State’s climate goals. Setting out the legislative context, Claragh Mulhern states that the Planning and Development Act 2024 was signed into law in October 2024. This was the first update to planning legislation in over 20 years.

Mulhern says the new legislation has climate action embedded into it as it dovetails with the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act and Climate Action Plans.

“Our key objectives in that process were to improve clarity, consistency, and certainty in the system,” she says.

Mulhern states that the Act is being implemented on a phased basis. Continuing, she says: “The forward planning elements to do with development plans are already in play. The next phase for us is the development consent parts of the act, and we are looking to commence those provisions over the next short while.”

Mulhern adds that the legislation is aimed at enabling “timely decisions” and is intended to “balance the common good with the rights of others”. Under the Act, each local authority is to create a 10-year development plan which is to be subject to a five-year review. Previously, local authorities developed six-year development plans. Mulhern explains that this is to ensure the plans are more strategic and provide clarity on the approach to a local area’s development. She adds that zoning will be done through these plans exclusively moving forward. The Chief Planner explains that development plans will contain six thematic strategies of which climate and the environment will be one. 68

Mulhern notes that the National Planning Framework (NPF), published in 2018, was revised in 2025. She says: “It plays a very important role in terms of the planning hierarchy. The regional strategies and development plans must be consistent with the objectives of the NPF, which is a cross-government strategy.

“It is also aligned with the National Development Plan (NDP). That is very important in terms of linking the capital investment plan to the spatial strategy. It is quite an innovation in that respect.”

Key drivers Mulhern outlines key drivers behind the 2025 revision of the NPF including the climate transition. She says: “Since 2018, a lot had changed in the climate area. We needed to make sure that we brought the national strategy up to date. That was probably the part of the document that changed the most. “One particular issue we have addressed is the sectoral emissions targets and the link to the Climate Action Plan [CAP], with renewable energy capacity allocations set out in the NPF for the first time.” Mulhern outlines that changing and diverse demographics were another key driver of change, saying: “From a population projection perceptive, Ireland is facing significant challenges. From a planning perspective, how we accommodate that growth is a crucial consideration. “Ireland, in terms of its demographic cycles, is highly cyclical, but with an overall growth trajectory. In a European context it is somewhat of an outlier. Population growth is partly driven by Ireland’s attractiveness in economic terms. “That presents challenges for policymaking and planning and it is a key consideration at a national level as to how we accommodate that.” Additional drivers for the NPF revision included the need to reflect on the progress made in delivering greater regional balance, digitalisation, and the prioritisation of investment to ensure infrastructure provision aligns with areas identified for future growth.

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“From a population projection perceptive, Ireland is facing significant challenges. From a planning perspective, how we accommodate that growth is a crucial The NPF links CAP targets with the development of renewable electricity. Mulhern indicates that regional assemblies are currently translating CAP targets to regional allocation figures to be included in their strategies. This in turn will inform local authorities’ development plans. She says: “That is really important because it sets an overall framework for decision-making on individual proposals for commercial-scale wind and solar development.” Mulhern states that delivering compact patterns of future growth remains central to the revised NPF as it was in the original document. She says the Government’s objective is “to consolidate our urban settlements and counter decades of urban sprawl”. Population growth has also seen housing need and demand increase which is reflected in the revised NPF. Mulhern says: “We are now looking at planning for the delivery of approximately 50,000 housing units per annum to 2040, compared with 33,000 units per annum back in 2018. That is a significant challenge that we need to address in the planning system. “If you are trying to accommodate growth of that scale, not just from a housing perspective, but also including all of the other facilities communities need to grow, the approach must be embedded in a way that is sustainable and capitalises on opportunities in public transport investment.” She states that this must be underpinned by infrastructure provision, which planning will be key to unlocking. Mulhern says: “We need to make sure we are investing, coordinating, and prioritising the infrastructure, and that is done in a way aligned with planned growth areas into the future.”

MARA’s place in the maritime planning system planning report

represented a fundamental reform of how these competing uses are regulated. The MAP Act positions MARA at the centre of a significant change in how Ireland manages its maritime space. MARA does not operate in isolation. Its role forms part of a wider system involving the coastal planning authorities (CPAs) and An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP), with each organisation having its own responsibilities. That separation of functions is central to understanding where MARA fits into the overall process. 94 per cent of applications to MARA to September 2026 intersect with CPAs within the nearshore area. The introduction of the maritime area consent (MAC) system represents a fundamental change in the way maritime development is approached. MARA is responsible for determining whether an applicant should be granted a MAC to occupy a defined area of the maritime space for a specific maritime usage. Laura Brien, Chief Executive Officer, Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA).

Ireland’s maritime area is becoming increasingly important to national planning, environmental protection, and economic development, writes Laura Brien, Chief Executive Officer of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA).

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A coastal development can affect navigation, marine habitats and species, offshore infrastructure, or other maritime users. Equally, an offshore or nearshore project can involve extensive areas of sea and significant connections to landbased infrastructure, and have consequences for coastal communities, ports, roads, electricity infrastructure, and other land-based interests. Effective planning therefore depends on understanding those connections. This is an increasing challenge for Ireland as the scale and complexity of maritime projects increases. Offshore 70

renewable energy, ports, cables, marine infrastructure, aquaculture, recreation, and conservation all compete for space within an environment that is both economically valuable and environmentally sensitive. The question, therefore, is not simply how we develop the maritime area, but how we decide where development should take place, who should regulate it, and how the different interests can be brought together. The establishment of MARA under the Maritime Area Planning (MAP) Act 2021

In general, a MAC from MARA creates a defined gateway into the planning system and, at the same time, preserves the role of the relevant planning authority in assessing the development proposal. Once the MAC is obtained the MAC holder may then proceed to apply for planning permission. Changes to legislation, however, may facilitate concurrent MAC and planning applications for statutory undertakers. The MAC process does not include environmental assessment which is undertaken through the planning application process. The planning process is where the public and prescribed-body consultation, appropriate assessment, and environmental impact assessment or screening for same takes place. That division of responsibility makes sense to me. The different stages are designed to answer different questions. MARA considers the maritime occupation and regulatory aspects, while the planning process considers the development proposal in its wider context, including environmental and planning considerations.

MARA’s Place in the Maritime Planning System Policy and Spatial Planning Context

National and regional policy, maritime spatial planning and coastal planning set the strategic framework for sustainable development and use of the maritime area

Maritime Area Consents (MAC) Maritime Usage Licences (MUL) Planning Advisory Compliance and Enforcement

• •

Maritime registrable matters •

•

determines planning applications for development wholly or partially in the nearshore (3nm) area of a single CPA planning compliance and enforcement in their nearshore area

•

CPAs and ACP must give all Maritime registrable matters to MARA MARAs own registrable matters

Includes: data, maps, reports, decisions, notices, correspondance and other records

Maritime Area Planning Register (MAPR) One central, authorative register for all registrable matter relating to the maritime area

An Coimisiún Pleanála (ACP)

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Coastal Planning Authorities (CPAs)

•

Authorises MACs & MULs for specified activities in the maritime area Prescribed Body on All maritime development applications with CPA and ACP

Determines certain maritime planning applications including: • development in the outer maritime area • development in nearshore of more that one CPA • specified marine development • certain local-authority development requireing AA/EIA • appeals on CPA decisions No role in Enforcement

Maintained by MARA

Compliance and Enforcement •

MARA’s compliance and enforcement is responsible for:

MARA’s role continues beyond the initial decision to allow an activity to occupy a particular area. It also has responsibilities for maritime usage licences (MULs) and for compliance and enforcement in relation to maritime consents and licences. Under the Planning and Development Acts, MARA is the planning enforcement authority for relevant ACP consents. That continuing regulatory responsibility matters. As Ireland makes greater use of its maritime resources, there will be an increasing need to ensure that activities take place within the conditions under which they have been authorised and that different users of maritime space can operate alongside one another.

specified foreshore authorisations planning permission and conditionswhere the application was made to ACP Unauthorised maritime usage Unauthorised maritime development in the outer maritime area and/or straddling more than 2 CPAs

This provides a direct route for specialist maritime knowledge to feed into planning decisions. It also recognises something that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: the boundary between land and sea is not a hard boundary when it comes to development.

planning register by MARA as prescribed under the Planning and Development Act 2024. The register will provide a central, publicly accessible record of maritime planning information and decisions, bringing together marine-related data from MARA, ACP, and CPAs.

But separating responsibilities does not mean separating the authorities.

The register will improve transparency and support more effective coordination between authorities along with providing a clear picture of planned and authorised development and activities in Ireland’s maritime area.

If anything, the new system makes cooperation more important. A maritime development may pass through several regulatory stages and involve several different authorities. For the system to work effectively, there needs to be clarity about who is responsible for what, when decisions are made and how information moves from one stage to another. MARA, ACP, the CPAs, and the Office of the Planning Regulator have come together to produce a guide to understanding these relationships, showing our common stakeholders how the new maritime consenting system is not intended to create another layer operating separately from planning. Rather, MARA forms part of a chain of regulatory and planning decisions. A further stage to the process will be the development of a new maritime area

As Ireland looks towards a future in which the maritime area will play an increasingly important role in energy, infrastructure, and economic development, that distinction will become even more important. The challenge will be finding the balance between development and protection, between new uses and established users, and between national objectives and local interests. MARA cannot resolve all of those issues by itself, nor should it. Its role is to form part of a system capable of dealing with them properly.

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There is another aspect of MARA’s role which I believe is particularly important to the planning system: its position as a prescribed body. MARA engages with local planning authorities and ACP in our role as a prescribed and notifiable body under the Planning and Development Acts, for both maritime development applications and land use plans, ensuring effective coordination, clarity of roles, and ensuring that Ireland’s land and marine planning systems work seamlessly together.

• • • •

W: www.maritimeregulator.ie

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Changes made to planning law The Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2026, signed into law in July 2026, aims to reduce delays incurred by judicial reviews, provide for the timely introduction of 10-year development plans by planning authorities, and accelerate the delivery of critical infrastructure projects. It aims to accelerate the implementation of new procedural rules for planning judicial review introduced in the Planning and Development Act 2024. This measure is to apply to decisions or acts carried out under the Planning and Development Act 2000. The 2026 Act removes the requirement to apply for ‘leave’ to apply for judicial review. Applying for leave is the first step in judicial review proceedings and is used to filter out claims that may be trivial or without merit early. Removal of the requirement is to enable cases to be remitted to the point at which a procedural breach may have occurred. It is to provide an alternative to quashing cases and aims to remove the possibility of a further legal appeal to the Court of Appeal. The Act also extends the suspension of the duration of permissions due to judicial review contained in the 2024 Act to permissions under the 2000 Act subject to judicial review. The Act also seeks to ensure 10-year development plans by planning authorities are introduced in a “timely” manner. It sets a deadline of 31 72

December 2027 for the completion of the review processes of the three regional spatial and economic strategies. Planning authorities must then design the new plans between July 2027 and July 2028. Under the Act, planning authorities are also enabled to amend the duration of their current development plans. It allows for current development plans to remain in force on a “transitional basis” until no later than a specified date between February and December 2030. This date is linked to the date on which the plan was made under the 2000 Act. The Act provides a new definition of ‘material contravention’ of development plans. In relation to a development plan made under the 2026 Act, it defines a contravention of the development plan as that which “fundamentally conflicts with the integrated overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of the functional area to which the development plan relates”. For development plans made under the 2000 Act, it defines it as that which “fundamentally conflicts with an objective of the development plan

relating to the zoning of land in the functional area to which the development plan applies”. The Act provides for planning applications for the distribution of electricity by statutory undertakers to be treated as a standard development. It also removes the requirement to have a maritime area consent in the preapplication consultation process for developments that are wholly or partially in a maritime area. The Act also provides for the designation of towns with populations of 10,000 or more as ‘key towns’ and increases the statutory borrowing limit of the Housing Finance Agency from €13.5 billion to €15 billion. During a Seanad Éireann debate in July 2026, Sinn Féin Senator Maria McCormack said: “It is unfortunate that [the Act] is being rushed through the Houses at breakneck speed and without proper scrutiny. It is a really bad way to make planning law and it likely will lead to errors, unintended consequences, legal challenges, and delays to muchneeded infrastructure, housing, and public services.”

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Building communities for the future planning report

Cork is Ireland’s largest county and one of its most dynamic regions, continuing to experience significant population, economic, and employment growth. Regeneration and housing activation also remain key priorities. Through its dedicated vacancy and dereliction unit, Cork County Council is working to bring vacant and derelict properties back into productive use across towns and villages. To date, almost 2,900 reportedly vacant properties have been surveyed, while 19 compulsory purchase orders have been commenced in respect of vacant and derelict buildings. Through the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, 1,419 grants have been approved across the county, with 516 homes already renovated through funding of almost €29 million. These initiatives are helping to revitalise town centres, increase housing supply, and support compact growth objectives. The Council is unlocking key growth areas in Metropolitan Cork, including Water-Rock along the Cork-Midleton rail corridor.

To support this growth, Cork County Council is taking a long-term strategic approach to planning, housing delivery, infrastructure investment, and digital innovation, ensuring communities remain connected, sustainable, and resilient for generations to come. A major milestone in 2026 was the adoption of variation one to the Cork County Development Plan 2022-2028.

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Prepared in response to updated National Planning Framework housing targets, the variation significantly increases residential zoning capacity across the county and provides for a baseline of 38,370 new homes over the next decade, with the potential to accommodate up to 50,000 homes. By planning ahead for future growth, the council is creating the framework required to deliver housing, services and infrastructure in sustainable locations. 74

Supporting this vision is the council’s active land management section, which monitors the availability and development status of residentially zoned land and identifies opportunities to bring underutilised sites forward for development. This work provides an important evidence base to inform decisions for planning policy and helps ensure that appropriately zoned lands are brought forward for development in line with local and national objectives. Through strategic monitoring and reporting, the section supports the council in promoting compact growth, sustainable development, and the efficient use of land resources, while helping to deliver the housing and community infrastructure required to meet the needs of Cork’s growing population.

Delivering homes and sustainable communities Strategic infrastructure investment is central to Cork County Council’s approach to housing delivery. The council is unlocking key growth areas in Metropolitan Cork, particularly at Carrigtwohill and Water-Rock along the Cork-Midleton rail corridor. Together, these urban expansion areas have the potential to accommodate more than 6,500 homes and are being supported by major investment in transport, public realm, and utility infrastructure. At Carrigtwohill, a programme of infrastructure projects valued at more than €120 million will support housing growth, strengthen connections with the town centre, and improve access to rail services, schools, and employment locations.

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Chief Executive of Cork County Council Moira Murrell and Mayor of the County of Cork Bernard Moynihan.

At Water-Rock, where substantial enabling infrastructure has already been delivered, further investment is planned in transport infrastructure and public amenities, including the Water-Rock Linear Park. The project has already facilitated planning permission for approximately 1,500 homes and demonstrates the critical role infrastructure plays in accelerating sustainable development. By aligning housing delivery with investment in transport, community facilities, and public realm improvements, Cork County Council is creating connected, sustainable neighbourhoods that support population growth while maximising the benefits of existing and planned public transport infrastructure.

Investing in connectivity and sustainable mobility

The 11km motorway scheme, now approximately 40 per cent complete, will provide a high-quality transport link

In addition to supporting the continued development of the Port of Cork, the project will improve journey reliability, enhance road safety, and strengthen regional competitiveness. Sustainability is also a key focus, with lower-carbon construction practices helping to reduce the project’s environmental impact. Alongside the M28, Cork County Council continues to advance a range of strategic transport initiatives, including the N/M20 Cork to Limerick Project, the N72/N73 Mallow Relief Road, the N25 Midleton to Youghal Transport Project, and the N40 Cork City Northern Transport Project. The council is also supporting sustainable mobility through implementation of the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Strategy 2040 (CMATS), investment in active travel infrastructure and the development of an expanding greenway network linking communities across the county. These projects are helping to create a more connected, resilient, and sustainable transport system for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.

county. Through the LGMA Local Government Ireland Planning System and the implementation of the APAS planning management system, Cork County Council has modernised the planning process, making it more accessible, efficient, and environmentally sustainable. Applicants can now submit planning applications online, pay fees, track progress, and upload documentation through a single digital platform available 24 hours a day. More than 65 per cent of the 2,548 planning applications received by the council in 2026 have been submitted online, significantly reducing paper-based administration while improving customer experience. By embracing digital innovation alongside strategic planning and infrastructure investment, Cork County Council is creating the conditions for sustainable growth across Ireland’s largest county, ensuring communities remain vibrant, connected, and prepared for the opportunities of the future.

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Transport infrastructure remains fundamental to Cork County Council’s long-term growth strategy. Among the most significant projects currently under construction is the M28 Cork to Ringaskiddy Project, one of the largest transport investments currently being delivered in Ireland.

between Cork city, Ringaskiddy, the Port of Cork, and the national road network.

W: www.corkcoco.ie

Planning for a digital future Digital transformation is reshaping the delivery of planning services across Cork

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Accelerating the European transition to net zero Catherine Vilquin, president of the European Council of Spatial Planners – Conseil européen des urbanistes (ECTP-CEU) – outlines that all EU member states and partner states are experiencing increasing pressure on soil, with about 1.26 million hectares of land converted to urban use between 2000 and 2018. Vilquin explains that the role of spatial planners has expanded in recent years. She defines its purpose: “Working for the common good of all living forms while ensuring climate and social justice, and delivering positive environmental impact.” She traces how the aim of spatial planning has evolved, stating that it was formerly about reducing the negative environmental impact of projects and that it is now about delivering a positive environmental impact when delivering projects. 76

Vilquin says spatial planning is taking a regenerative design approach, adding: “This is going above sustainability. It is aimed at delivering positive environmental impacts, not just breaking even.” Spatial planners are also focusing on reducing land take and land consumption with a goal of no net land take by 2050. Vilquin states that this is a “very short period of time”. She also explains that production in cities must transition from linear to circular.

“Nature has a cultural value for citizens. Studies also show that access to nature is crucial for citizens’ mental health.” Vilquin outlines that the 3/30/300 rule can enable this access to nature. The rule stipulates that each citizen be able to see three trees from their home, that each neighbourhood have 30 per cent tree canopy coverage, and that each citizen’s home be within 300 metres of a green space. She outlines the multiple responsibilities spatial planners have including regeneration of nature, recycling of materials, and redevelopment of brownfield sites amongst others. Additionally, spatial planners are responsible for enabling co-living, coownership, and co-decision-making. “If projects we are assigned do not fit these criteria, we should not do it and we should not promote it. In such cases, we should work to convince the private developer or public bodies that they need to alter their approach,” says Vilquin. Vilquin indicates that environmental policymaking should extend beyond the boundaries of urban areas, for example to the scale of a catchment area. She presents a map of the Vesdre Valley in east Belgium which was flooded in 2021. Over 15 per cent of the residential building stock in the area was affected. Vilquin presents the strategic plan being devised for the area’s reconstruction. It was determined that management of agricultural land and forests would have to be approached differently to protect the area against future flood risk. The spatial planner states that she views cities as living organisms. She says cities’ soils, water, and greenery must be healthy to ensure citizens live in positive environments. Vilquin adds that failing to ensure cities remain healthy leads to destruction similar to what was seen in Vesdre Valley in 2021.

Providing examples of best practice in ensuring healthy cities, she identifies Reims in France as a model for rainwater absorption. The city has been desealing land to maximise the volume of water infiltrating the ground for collection and reuse.

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Along with considering the environmental implications of projects, she says it is important to consider how nature interfaces with society. She says: “We focus too much on creating nature spaces in cities because it delivers ecosystemic benefits, we also need to provide nature spaces with the aim of benefitting nature itself.

She points to Liège in Belgium as an example of a city managing greenery effectively. Liège has identified the tree coverage per neighbourhood and areas where the most heat island effect is observed. It has developed a strategic plan identifying how trees should be replanted.

No net land take Outlining the negative impact of land take and its resulting soil sealing, Vilquin says it leads to a loss of biodiversity and fragmentation of habitats and can affect agriculture and forestry. It also leads to the consumption of a nonrenewable resource in soil and exacerbates vulnerabilities of territories such as increased heat island effects and floods. Additionally, urban sprawl results in increased demand for transport, and thus energy. “It is very clear that it is important to stop urban sprawl and land consumption,” says Vilquin. She explains that this means cities must be made more compact and dense. The spatial planner indicates that no net land take strategies will need to be developed in each EU member states and that they will differ between regions due to differences between economies, demographics, and characteristics of the physical territory. Vilquin says planners must begin rejecting applications that move in contrary to the 2050 goal. She says: “This is how we stop urban sprawl and readjust urbanisation. It will take time to convince politicians, citizens, and private owners of the benefits.” Concluding, she says: “We must work together and make a strategic plan for the coming 25 years. This is the challenge we are now facing and that every country in Europe should address because 2050 is tomorrow.”

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Enabling critical infrastructure

Mona Costelloe, Partner, Byrne Wallace Shields LLP.

Gráinne Murphy, Partner, Byrne Wallace Shields LLP.

In December 2025, the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation published The Accelerating Infrastructure Task Force Report and Action Plan. This Plan identifies some 30 actions to be taken to accelerate infrastructure delivery, write Mona Costelloe and Gráinne Murphy of Byrne Wallace Shields LLP.

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One such action is the enactment of legislation to accelerate critical infrastructure, with the Plan envisaging the introduction of a Critical Infrastructure Act to create legal obligations on public bodies to accelerate key projects through planning, licensing, and other consenting stages. The Government initiated the Critical Infrastructure Bill on 8 April 2026 and, ultimately, the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 came into effect on 17 July 2026. The purpose of the Act is to allow the Government to designate State-funded infrastructure projects as being of critical

national importance and to accelerate the delivery of such designated projects by pushing them to the top of the ladder for speedier decision-making. The Act seeks to achieve this speedier decisionmaking by both imposing specific duties on the relevant public bodies and relieving them of certain existing duties when exercising their functions on designated critical infrastructure projects. A project is designated by the Government following a recommendation by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. In so doing, the Minister must have regard to a number of matters

Designation imposes a number of legal duties on relevant public bodies such as: •

prioritising the performance of their functions in relation to the critical infrastructure project over its other functions;

•

acting in an expeditious manner and avoiding undue delays in the delivery of the project;

•

reducing the time required for their authorisation processes to be completed;

•

allocating appropriate administrative, technical, and decision-making resources;

•

carrying out their functions in tandem with those being carried out by any other relevant public bodies; and

•

cooperating with other public bodies on sequencing and risks.

Significantly, and in a move that appears to be a legislative reaction to the Supreme Court’s seminal decision in Coolglass Wind Farm v An Coimisiún Pleanála [2026] IESC 5 (in which Byrne Wallace Shields LLP acted for An Coimisiún Pleanála), the Act disapplies section 15 of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 for public bodies performing their functions in relation to designated projects.

“This operates as a form of climate sense check, and to ensure that decisions and actions of public sector bodies are all aligned with the climate objectives.” The evident purpose of disapplying section 15 to critical infrastructure projects is to reduce the potential scope of judicial review challenges to those projects, by removing potential grounds of challenge grounded on section 15. However, the disapplication of section 15 and the breadth of the discretion over designation may themselves be open to challenge. To date, nine projects have been designated by the Government as critical infrastructure projects across the transport, water, and energy sectors including MetroLink, the Galway City Ring Road, the Greater Dublin Drainage Project, and the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme. The Minister has advised that these projects are among the most significant investments currently being advanced by the State. Beyond the disapplication of section 15, existing domestic and EU planning and environmental law will continue to apply to a designated project. As noted in the Government press release announcing the designation of the nine projects, the typical capital project requires dozens of licences, permissions, and consents from a wide range of public bodies. Designation under the Act requires every public body involved in the approval process to accelerate the requisite licence, permission, and consent processes. It does not dictate specific decisions, but rather seeks to accelerate the decision-making process.

The Act is a clear statement of political intent that infrastructure delivery is a national priority. Its real test, however, will be practical rather than legal. Putting a project at the ‘top of the queue’ only helps if the relevant public bodies have the resources, expertise, and funding to act on that priority. The Act leaves the substantive legal tests, planning appeals, and judicial review rules unchanged, so designated projects may still face legal challenges and delays. The Act itself may also face challenge. The broad and loosely defined discretion over designation, together with the disapplication of section 15, could both be tested in the courts. Given the Supreme Court’s view in Coolglass that section 15 will rarely be decisive, the carve-out’s practical benefit may be modest. The first nine projects will show whether the Act delivers.

Mona Costelloe, Partner, Head of Planning, Environment, and Climate T: +353 1 691 5606 E: mcostelloe@byrnewallaceshields.com Gráinne Murphy, Partner, Planning, Environment, and Climate T: +353 1 691 5485 E: gmurphy@byrnewallaceshields.com

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Section 15 requires public and prescribed bodies to perform their functions, so far as practicable, in a way that is consistent with the national climate plans and strategies, the national climate objective, and the objectives of reducing emissions and adapting to climate change. In Coolglass, the Supreme Court stated that section 15 “applies to the functions of all relevant public bodies, and obliges such bodies to exercise those functions consistently with the climate objectives so far as possible”.

“The Act is a clear statement of political intent that infrastructure delivery is a national priority.”

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including the need to ensure effective and efficient delivery of a project, and whether delays in the delivery of the project or a failure to deliver it could have adverse economic or social consequences for the State or might impact any other project. The designation order must be laid before the Dáil, and the Dáil may annul it within 21 sitting days.

Byrne Wallace Shields LLP has a dedicated National Development Plan Legal Service Office, a multidisciplinary offering designed to support the delivery of Ireland's National Development Plan 2026-2035. For more information, visit: www.byrnewallaceshields.com

Enabling infrastructure delivery? planning report

The Government is off track on goals to publish national planning statements for critical infrastructure by Q1 2027 and to deliver a review of the Office of the Planning Regulator contained in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan (AIRAP). Published by the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation (DPER) in December 2025, AIRAP set aims to streamline planning and regulatory frameworks for critical infrastructure. The action plan sets an aim to achieve this through national planning statements, regulatory simplification, legislative rationalisation, and agency process reform. Reforms also include “proactive engagement on EU legislation”, enabling developer-led delivery, and strengthening the Planning Regulator’s role in promoting consistency and sight of pipeline. One of the most significant actions set by the plan was the publication of national planning statements (NPSs) for critical infrastructure between Q1 2026 and Q1 2027. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) is delivering this action. NPSs are to replace the 28 ministerial guidelines provided for by the Planning and Development Act 2000. During a September 2026 Dáil Éireann debate, Minister of State at

DHLGH Christopher O’Sullivan TD, said: “There are approximately 28 national planning statements that we are preparing at the moment.” Under the Act, planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála (now An Coimisiún Pleanála) must have regard to the guidelines in the performance of their functions. The NPSs are intended to align with the policy objectives of the National Planning Framework. DHLGH published an amended draft NPS for planning design standards for apartments in September 2026. In June 2026, draft NPSs for short-term letting (STL) and sustainable rural and Gaeltacht housing were approved. A finalised version of the STL NPS is expected in autumn 2026, while a finalised NPS for sustainable rural and Gaeltacht housing is expected before the end of 2026.

Regulatory simplification

In April 2026, Minister for Housing James Browne TD indicated that NPSs relating to onshore wind energy development are being prepared. During a September 2026 Dáil debate, Minister of State O’Sullivan indicated that an NPS for solar energy is to be developed. With only three of 28 draft NPSs published 10 months into 2026, it is incredibly unlikely that this goal will be delivered upon.

Planning Regulator review AIRAP sets an action to review the role and functions of the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) and “drive performance in the planning system, including consistency in decision-making”. This was to be achieved between Q2 and Q3 2026. The Government’s housing plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities also recommended the OPR undergo review. In March 2026, DHLGH announced that the review had commenced. This review is to determine the future role of the OPR, assess how best to align plan review, examination, and training functions in the planning system, and identify the optimal use of resources to achieve planning objectives. Upon announcement, DHLGH set a completion date of Q2 2026 for the review. As of October 2026, the review has not yet been published. During a July 2026 Seanad Éireann debate, Senator Victor Boyhan said that the review has been completed and is “sitting on someone’s desk”. In reply, O’Sullivan said the review “is ongoing at the moment and will be finalised very shortly”.

National planning excellence framework DHLGH is developing a national planning excellence framework (NPEF) “to examine the potential for improvement and innovation within the planning system”. Creation of the NPEF is also included in Delivering Homes, Building Communities. The Strategic Performance and Innovation Unit (SPIU), established within the planning division of DHLGH in 2025, is to develop the NPEF. In June 2026, DHLGH published a discussion paper on the NPEF. It identifies development of the framework as “the next critical step in the planning reform journey”. Stakeholder feedback in response to the discussion paper was accepted by the SPIU up to 3 July 2026. In the discussion paper, DHLGH said a final draft of the framework was to be prepared by Q3 2026, with a view to final publication before the end of 2026.

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AIRAP asserts that there is “significant complexity in critical infrastructure delivery” due to a range of bodies conducting process for permissions, consents, and licences. This is deemed to delay critical infrastructure delivery. In February 2026, the Infrastructure Regulatory Simplification Unit was established within DPER, in line with an action in AIRAP. The unit is to conduct a risk-based review of the current regulatory landscape to identify and remove bottlenecks in consenting, permitting, and licensing. It is also to support more effective delivery of the National Development Plan. Furthermore, the unit is to simplify and improve consenting, permitting, and licensing systems across energy, transport, and water infrastructure to support housing delivery. DPER tells eolas Magazine: “AIRAP continues to demonstrate strong momentum, with delivery remaining on track across all 30 actions and major reform measures progressing from policy development to implementation.” The Department says the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 has been introduced, and that the Government has designated the first nine critical infrastructure projects for delivery. Furthermore, the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2026 has been signed into law, and the Government has approved the drafting of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Bill 2026. DPER says: “As of end-Q2 [2026], 95 per cent of all commitments were complete. Commitments due for completion in Q3 are currently being assessed, with Departmental owners due to report by mid-October [2026]. “It is expected from current updates the majority of these commitments will be marked complete. As work progresses into Q4 and beyond, the focus will remain on sustaining delivery, embedding reforms, and realising further benefits across the infrastructure system.” 81

planning report

Planning for the Ireland we want to build services are often taken for granted, they are fundamental to how society functions. Sustainable communities require sustainable infrastructure. Without investment and forward planning, growth simply cannot happen. At Uisce Éireann, our role is to ensure infrastructure is available where Ireland needs it, today and into the future. That means aligning investment with national, regional, and local development priorities and working closely with local authorities, regulators, developers, and communities to support sustainable growth. Planning is not simply about securing permissions. It is about creating the conditions for sustainable growth.

Planning is often viewed as a process. In reality, it is about ensuring that development happens in an organised way, meeting the needs of the State in the right place at the right time while protecting the environment, writes Olwyn James, Planning, Land, and Utilities Senior Manager, Uisce Éireann. Advertorial

Planning shapes where people live, where businesses invest, how communities grow, and how infrastructure is delivered. It determines where homes will be built, where jobs will be created, and whether essential services can keep pace with a growing population. At its best, planning is about responding to today’s challenges, while making the decisions that enable better outcomes for the future.

This long-term perspective has never been more important as Ireland seeks to deliver homes, strengthen economic competitiveness, and respond to the impacts of climate change at pace. Water infrastructure sits at the heart of that challenge. Every home, school, healthcare facility, and business depends on reliable water and wastewater services. While these

Our role spans long-term infrastructure planning, land acquisition, environmental licensing, and project consents. Every day, we work with local authorities, regulators, developers, and communities to ensure that water services can support future housing, economic development, and environmental improvement. As Ireland’s water utility, we have increasingly aligned our planning with the wider planning system, helping to ensure that infrastructure investment supports national, regional, and local development priorities. One lesson consistently emerges from that experience: the earlier all parties engage, the better the outcome. Planning authorities, infrastructure providers, developers, regulators, and communities all bring valuable perspectives. When those conversations happen early, issues are identified sooner, decisions can be made with greater certainty, and projects are more likely to progress successfully. Better collaboration delivers better outcomes. Recent planning reforms, the work of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce and

the introduction of the Critical Infrastructure Act reflect a growing recognition that infrastructure delivery is central to housing, economic growth, and climate resilience.

The opportunity now is to create a more coordinated delivery system that maintains environmental protection and public participation while providing greater certainty around infrastructure delivery. This is as much about collaboration as it is about process. As Ireland continues to reform its planning framework, four priorities could further strengthen infrastructure delivery.

Enabling infrastructure First, enabling infrastructure should be recognised and prioritised as a strategic national asset. Water and wastewater projects do more than deliver infrastructure. They unlock housing, support employment, strengthen environmental outcomes, and enable wider investment. Their value extends far beyond the asset itself. Strategic infrastructure should continue to receive the prioritisation and crossagency focus necessary to support national objectives around housing, economic growth and regional development.

Coordinated consenting Second, Ireland should move towards more coordinated consenting. Major infrastructure projects often progress through multiple independent approval processes.

Third, targeted reform of exempted development provisions could help accelerate lower-risk infrastructure projects. Many utility projects involve upgrading, improving, or expanding existing operational assets to increase resilience, environmental performance, or customer service. Giving greater flexibility to deliver appropriate lower-risk works outside full planning processes would allow planning resources to focus on the projects that require the most detailed scrutiny while supporting faster delivery of improvements that directly benefit communities.

Joined up planning Finally, infrastructure planning must continue to be integrated with housing, transport, and spatial planning. The most successful outcomes occur when growth is planned holistically and when infrastructure is considered from the outset rather than after constraints emerge. A genuinely plan-led system benefits communities, provides certainty for developers, and enables more effective public investment. It also creates a stronger connection between national ambitions and local delivery.

Importantly, these reforms are not about reducing standards or limiting engagement. Public participation, environmental protection, and robust assessment must remain central. Rather, the objective should be to ensure that decision-making processes are coordinated, transparent, and capable of supporting timely delivery. Ireland has ambitious plans for housing, economic growth, and climate resilience. Delivering them will require continued investment, stronger collaboration, and a planning system that supports delivery. Infrastructure does not happen on its own. It requires people, partnerships, and long-term thinking. It requires public bodies, regulators, local authorities, and communities working towards shared objectives. If we continue to build on the momentum now emerging across planning reform and infrastructure delivery, Ireland can create a system that enables sustainable growth while protecting the things that matter most. Ultimately, planning is about how the world works and it is our collective responsibility to ensure it works well for future generations.

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Planning, environmental licensing, land acquisition, and sector-specific consents each serve important purposes, but they can also create duplication, delay, and uncertainty. Greater alignment and, where appropriate, parallel processing could significantly improve delivery timelines while maintaining environmental protections and rigorous decision-making.

Reform exempted development provisions

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Delivering infrastructure is rarely constrained by a single decision. More often, it involves navigating multiple consenting processes, approvals, and regulatory requirements, each serving a legitimate purpose, but often operating independently of one another.

“Ultimately, planning is about how the world works and it is our collective responsibility to ensure it works well for future generations.”

W: www.water.ie

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Transitioning to climate neutral cities Writing in eolas Magazine, Aura-Luciana Istrate, assistant professor in sustainable urbanism and urban planning, School of Architecture, Planning, and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, discusses the key role urban centres are to play in climate action. By 2050, nearly 70 per cent of the global population is expected to live in urban areas. However, as primary engines of economic activity, cities remain major emitters of greenhouse gases and the residents suffer the consequences of climate impacts. Recognising this, international policies, such as the EU’s vision for a climate neutral continent, have placed urban centres at the forefront of climate action. However, translating high level net zero pledges into tangible, ground-level outcomes remains significantly challenging. Current urban climate strategies often stumble due to fragmented governance, reliance on isolated technical fixes, and an inability to bridge the gap between policy goals and resident acceptance. This article synthesises key insights from a peer-reviewed paper, Collaborative research for transitioning to Climate-Neutral Cities published in the Planning Theory journal (Istrate et al., 2023), where my co-authors and I developed a framework for integrated planning of climate-

neutral cities. The work is derived from the C-NEWTRAL project, an EU-funded Marie Skłodowska Curie Doctoral Network. This piece outlines how our findings can be translated into practice.

Shortcomings of top-down and fragmented planning Globally, planning approaches on climate-neutrality remain uneven. The European Union puts forward the European Green Deal as a “new growth” strategy, however there are risks of greenwashing in urban developments.

In other regions around the world, the situation is not brighter. The United States operates through a patchwork of local policies where city-level net zero ambitions are often constrained by state-level restrictions or lack of binding national frameworks. China provides strong top-down directives focused on low-carbon industries, but research and execution frequently remain limited in scope or siloed. India and the Middle East face structural issues ranging from limited municipal funding and technical focus (e.g., India) to centralised, non-participative governance structures (e.g., Iran). For years, climate action in cities has been framed predominantly as a technical or engineering problem. Predictive natural sciences, algorithm-based research, and expansive infrastructure projects have their value and have so far been prioritised; however, the local governance dynamics and community values have been overlooked.

Three-pillar approach To overcome the above barriers, we proposed a preliminary framework built on three intersecting methodological pillars designed to break down disciplinary and operational silos:

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The EU has also advanced ambitious top-down targets through the 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, while equally emphasising citizen engagement and participatory governance. However, many cities still struggle with fragmented actions, inadequate implementation plans, and poor data utilisation.

Top-down tech solutions often yield marginal results or unintended consequences, rarely resolving deeper systemic issues on their own. Similarly, ‘green’ investments can trigger green gentrification or socioeconomic displacement if implemented without local input. Conversely, community-led, bottom-up projects often align with local needs, but they frequently lack the funding, statutory weight, and institutional alignment required to achieve wider urban impact.

1. The bottom-up participatory pillar: Focuses on embedding citizen values, social equity, and climate justice into local planning. Deliberative, ongoing community engagement ensures that climate interventions are met with social acceptance and match local living conditions rather than imposing top-down blueprints. 2. The top-down governance pillar: Focuses on equipping municipal authorities with responsive governance tools. By translating international climate targets into statutory local policies, municipal governments can align conflicting financial interests, reduce organisational risk, and manage long-term transitions effectively. 3. The digital technology link: It positions modern digital tools, such as digital twins of cities, geographic information systems (GIS), and predictive artificial intelligence, not as end goals, but as the ‘fuse link’ connecting governance decisions with citizen participation. For example, tech tools enable citizens to visualise data and codesign neighbourhood solutions, while providing planners with real-time feedback to model intervention scenarios. 4

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“Achieving climate neutrality requires moving away from disconnected interventions, toward integrated planning.” Five core urban dimensions

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Urban nature and circularity: Deploying digital participatory tools could allow local residents to identify vacant, disused sites for neighbourhood regreening. Such a process could create publicly accepted green infrastructure while mitigating the risk of speculative green gentrification.

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Housing buildings and energy infrastructure: Utilising digital decision-support platforms helps planners weigh development costs against energy efficiency targets. This would enable municipal leadership to protect vulnerable populations from energy poverty while accelerating the rollout of positive energy districts (PEDs).

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Urban mobility and urban nature: Combining spatial simulations with citizen and stakeholder input would allow cities to design active travel routes along blue-green corridors, increasing synergy of these urban systems and reducing conflicts, aiming to improve urban biodiversity while reducing traffic emissions.

In the referenced article, we proposed mapping the three methodological pillars presented above across five core urban dimensions of the climate-neutral city: 1. Urban nature: Regreening disused urban space, protecting biodiversity, managing stormwater, and expanding public green spaces via nature-based solutions. 2. Urban mobility: Shifting away from private car dependency toward multimodal transport, active travel networks, and equitable electric mobility options. 3. Built form: Accelerating deep retrofits of existing housing stock, expanding nearly zero energy buildings (NZEBs), and balancing sustainability with housing affordability and viability. 4. Energy infrastructure: Decarbonising energy grids, building resilient industrial supply systems, and establishing community-led renewable energy communities (REC). 5. Circularity: Implementing closed-loop systems for municipal waste management, water conservation, and resource reuse.

Towards climate neutral transitions Single-sector interventions frequently fail because they ignore spatial relationships such as building highdensity housing without matching public transport infrastructure (contemporary urban development in Dublin illustrates prime examples of this). By crosschecking the five urban dimensions with the three methodological pillars, our proposed framework in Istrate et al. 2023 provides actionable research and planning avenues, exemplified below:

Implications for policy and practice Achieving climate neutrality requires moving away from disconnected interventions, toward integrated planning. Technology alone cannot solve the climate crisis, but when used to democratise data and inform transparent governance, it becomes a powerful catalyst for urban transformation. The message for policymakers, planners, and community advocates is that transitioning to climateneutral cities requires balancing technological capacity, political leadership, and meaningful public participation within an integrated spatial vision.

Delivering robust permitting

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Pictured: Garret Farrelly, Owen Collins, Hilda Wrixon, Cillian O’Boyle, Maeve Delargy, Ruadhán Kenny, Conor Blennerhassett, Mary Liz Mahony, Muireann Hernon, and Enda Garvey.

For any commercial development in Ireland, planning and environmental permitting run through the entire project lifecycle, intersecting with land acquisition, grid consent, financing, and eventual disposal. Permitting is not just a phase of the project. It runs through every commercial decision throughout the project lifecycle. At land acquisition stage, permitting status drives price and structure, determining whether a site can deliver the intended use before a purchaser commits capital. Conditional contracts, option agreements, and due diligence should be calibrated against permitting timelines and risk. For energy and infrastructure projects, the grid consent process requires close sequencing with planning. Misalignment between the two consent tracks is a recurring cause of project slippage.

At disposal, a permit is itself an asset that transfers with a sale, not just the underlying site, and purchasers will expect confirmation that conditions have

Planning considerations are more important and nuanced than ever, particularly following the enactment, in stages, of the Planning and Development Act 2024. One of its most consequential reforms for commercial developers is now firmly in force: the new Part 9 judicial review code, effective from 1 August 2025. Under Part 9, applicants no longer need High Court permission to bring a challenge. Other streamlining measures include confining applicants to the grounds pleaded at the outset, and giving the High Court the new power to order correction of a discrete error rather than overturn an entire permission.

Matheson’s environmental, planning and safety group is one of the largest and most experienced in Ireland, with market-leading expertise across many industries. From data centres, transport, and food and drink facilities, to power generation, extraction, waste, and pharma/chemical projects, we help our clients to achieve prompt planning and permitting decisions. Working with our real estate, energy, infrastructure, construction, finance, and corporate departments, we provide our clients with seamless, multidisciplinary advice across the entire lifecycle of a project, aligning legal strategy with project goals.

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Permitting is equally important for financing. Lenders will scrutinise permission terms before committing funds, wanting certainty that permits are valid, not subject to challenge, or to unworkable conditions.

been discharged and that the permit remains valid and unchallenged.

W: www.matheson.com

For a sector that has watched judicial review timelines drive up cost and uncertainty on major projects, this is a positive development which should be carefully understood. As further parts of the 2024 Act continue to come into operation, close monitoring of their implementation remains essential.

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Ending the ‘Eircode lottery’ Ahead of the publication of the final National Planning Policy Statement at the end of 2026, the Government has announced its support for a state-wide planning framework which would move away from the authority-by-authority approach to rural and Gaeltacht housing policy. The proposal, published in June 2026, would establish a more nationally standardised framework for rural housing, while applying differentiated planning criteria according to the characteristics and development pressures of individual rural areas. Under the proposed policy, rural settlements with fewer than 1,500 people would no longer be subject to ‘local needs’ criteria. Applicants could therefore seek planning permission for a dwelling in such settlements without demonstrating a defined period of local residency or family and social connections to the area. Proposals would remain subject to standard planning, siting, design, environmental, and infrastructure requirements. The principal restriction would instead apply to open countryside surrounding cities, larger towns, and commuter areas. These locations would be formally designated as ‘rural areas under urban influence’. Within these areas, applicants would generally be required to 88

demonstrate a genuine local economic or social need. The standard social-need criterion would comprise having lived or worked within up to 10km of the proposed site for at least seven years, with potentially more stringent 3km/10year requirements applying in areas experiencing particularly high development pressure. Conversely, in wider rural areas outside areas of significant urban influence, the framework would adopt a considerably more permissive approach. Applicants would generally be able to seek planning permission for a dwelling without demonstrating a local connection, subject to the applicable planning, environmental, siting, and design criteria. A significant change would also apply within Gaeltacht areas. New single rural dwellings would remain subject to localneeds criteria, while applicants demonstrating B2-level spoken Irish could benefit from greater flexibility in satisfying the social-needs test.

Minister for Housing, Local Government James Browne TD says: “This new statement, when finalised, will replace the current guidelines with a clearer, more consistent national approach to the delivery and assessment of new housing in rural and Gaeltacht areas, ensuring that planning decisions are transparent, evidence-based, and applied consistently across all local authorities, and will meet the local housing needs of rural communities.” Gaeltacht Minister Dara Calleary TD says: “The draft policy strengthens the planning system’s support for the Irish language in Gaeltacht areas, making it clearer and more consistent by setting out the language criteria, which may be submitted with applications for new single rural dwellings and requiring a proportion of multi-unit developments to be lived in by Irish speakers.”

Planning for growth: Turning policy into delivery planning report

Our job as the independent regulator of the planning system is to see that the Government programme of policy and operational reform is implemented in practice by the local government system and An Coimisúin Pleanála through our regulatory and oversight functions, and in provision of training and targeted supports to maximise efficiency and consistency in the performance of planning authorities. Approaching new regional, spatial, and economic strategies of the regional assemblies and the subsequent new 10year city and county development plans will realise the potential of new systems for forward planning. We are looking forward to realising the potential of these initiatives, working in providing frontline supports, training, and research insights for the local government sector and wider stakeholders.

The Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) works on behalf of government, citizens, planning authorities, elected representatives, and the planning sector. Niall Cussen, Planning Regulator, discusses its role. Implementation and delivery are key priorities for the planning system right now.

Our economy’s competitiveness depends on major ramping up of delivery of energy, water, transport, waste management, and communications infrastructure. Our environment demands that we do all of the above sustainably, in a way that decarbonises our economy and protects and enhances biodiversity.

It is therefore right that government has driven an unprecedented programme of planning reform. The National Planning Framework has been updated with new housing and renewable energy targets. Implementation of the 2024 Planning and Development Act and 2026 regulations is ongoing. A new excellence framework for planning service delivery and many more initiatives are underway.

With a fresh and clear policy and legislative context and appropriate systems and resources, planning can ensure the demands of a growing population are met. As Ireland’s Planning Regulator, my team and I respect and value our role in ensuring the Government’s planning policy ambition translates into delivery, meeting ongoing needs of our communities, our economy, and our environment in the public interest.

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Our communities need many more homes in the right locations, delivered more cost effectively, and supported by infrastructure that enables quality of life.

Our planning system can and must enable such accelerated and sustainable development working with agility within a framework of engagement and public buy-in.

We have published a new strategy for 2026-2031 to ensure we play our full part in the process of planning reform. The new strategy focuses on bringing about a stronger culture of performance and improvement in planning, drawing on strong connections across the public and private sector.

W: www.opr.ie

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Planning reform: delivery focus Lissenhall, Fingal: strategic lands with potential for transport-led, large-scale development.

Ireland’s planning system is going through its biggest reforms in generations. Now comes the critical part: delivering the step change in homes and sustainable communities that are needed, writes Dearbhla Lawson of The Land Development Agency. Ask most people what planning is, and they will describe a process: forms, objections, conditions, a site notice signifying change. Planning is often seen that way, as a system for managing development, risk, and constraint. But that is only half the story.

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Planning is a strategic discipline. It shapes places, manages how they change and, crucially, enables them to grow. It is about weighing competing interests in the public good and delivering development that lasts. At its heart, though, planning is about possibility: imagining the future and creating the conditions in which people and places can thrive. That is why most of us became planners in the first place. The reforms in the Planning and Development Act 2024, the final parts of which are about to commence, are very welcome. A more streamlined system, with greater policy certainty, gives the stability needed to build capacity and 90

keep the pipeline moving. Certainty builds confidence, and confidence is what helps to get the homes built. And we need a step change in housing delivery, at least 50,000 a year between now and 2040. Planning has a critical role in creating the conditions and capacity to get there. Achieving this requires planning for enabling infrastructure, in a far more joined-up way, with clarity on costs and viability, and investment decisions made at the earliest possible stage. If these key enablers are left until the end, you are building on hope rather than certainty.

Delivery focus Delivery on this scale depends on sustained partnership between central and local government, The Land Development Agency (LDA), approved housing bodies, infrastructure providers, landowners, communities, and private sector delivery partners.

The LDA is on track to deliver more than 16,000 homes by 2030. But we do more than build. We coordinate land, assemble sites, support regeneration, and open pathways for large-scale, mixed-tenure development. With more than 40 projects under way across the State, the agency has built up real expertise in design, efficiency, cost effectiveness, and viability. None of this is simple. Balancing environmental, placemaking, and fiscal considerations adds complexity and, as anyone who has ever embarked on an extension project knows, complexity adds cost. The answer is to share our learnings, keep innovating, listen and evolve to help in shaping progress and efficiencies where we can. One example: drawing on our own experience, the LDA has developed the Apartments Typology and Low-Rise Typology booklets, which set out efficient standards for building

typologies. Good standards support quality, efficiency, and better value. Better value means more homes that are viable and affordable. We will keep tackling and feeding back to help address the challenges and simplify, to keep focus where it belongs: on sustainable homes and thriving communities.

Building the pipeline

Lissenhall in Fingal shows the opportunity of what is possible. The 86hectare site sits just north of Swords off the M1 and includes the proposed MetroLink Estuary terminus. It is a transformative opportunity for transportled urban development in the Greater Dublin Area. Together with Transport Infrastructure Ireland and MetroLink, and in consultation with Fingal County Council, we are commencing work on an infrastructure-led framework to unlock it. The aim is to enable these strategic lands and bring them forward for development. They are a central part of our pipeline which will support the step change in housing the State needs. Two reforms, in my view, can make the biggest impact for planning for growth and delivery focus: the new 10-year development plans and urban development zones.

10-year development plans

A longer horizon also gives local authorities, state agencies, infrastructure providers, and delivery partners a framework to align around infrastructure investment, with delivery programmes tied to clear objectives. Plans should be simplified and easier to read. Maps and three-dimensional modelling can move centre stage, showing where growth is planned, what

Clongriffin, Dublin

infrastructure it needs and how communities will benefit. A picture, as they say, is worth a thousand words. Done well, the new plans could become genuine enablers: spatial, visual, and a clearer basis for public engagement and for tracking progress.

Urban development zones Urban development zones (UDZs) provide a statutory framework for coordinated planning in places of strategic importance, and they will be critical to future capacity. They replace strategic development zones (SDZs), which underpinned successful new towns such as Adamstown and Cherrywood, although progress elsewhere was more limited. Experience from the SDZs taught us that designation alone is not enough. Success depends on securing the infrastructure investment that new urban communities need. So UDZs should not be seen as SDZs 2.0. They build on that experience, with a sharper focus on infrastructure provision, delivery mechanisms, and phasing. Rather than fixing detailed development quantum or other uses too early, they offer a framework that can evolve with housing need and market conditions. Given the scale of need, UDZs will be particularly important for new towns and communities in key locations, especially large areas with multiple landowners and significant infrastructure requirements. They are expected to be identified where there is significant economic, social, or environmental benefit, and where they support the common good and national and regional objectives.

A key feature is the early identification of ‘critical land’, the land needed for infrastructure and community facilities. It is a welcome provision that safeguards and prioritises essential infrastructure. The framework will also allow land value uplift to help contribute towards that infrastructure and the communities it serves. UDZs will form part of the development plan, with a detailed implementation framework prepared before government designation. Because the planning framework and infrastructure requirements are front-loaded, that work, led by local authorities with key stakeholders such as The LDA and delivery partners, needs to start early. The LDA welcomes the opportunity to work with government, local authorities, the Housing Activation Office, infrastructure providers, and landowners to identify key locations for UDZs. We will also support infrastructure planning, coordination, and land assembly, and bring our viability and delivery expertise to the table. In the end, that is what all this reform is for: shaping and delivering sustainable, inclusive communities where people and places can thrive.

Dearbhla Lawson Director of Planning Services, The Land Development Agency W: www.lda.ie

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The move to 10-year development plans is a generational opportunity to rethink what a plan is for: to raise its ambition, streamline it, and make it more strategic, more accessible, and more focused on outcomes.

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The LDA has a strong pipeline with capacity for up to 28,000 homes, on state lands and market acquisitions. Strategic land assembly is central to that. With key stakeholders, we coordinate masterplans for key sites and help to shape and enable these lands for development, because without land at scale, there simply is not the capacity to create new communities.

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Planning Scotland’s net zero transition The Scottish Government’s Chief Planner, Fiona Simpson, outlines how the country’s National Planning Framework (NPF) is part of a long-term spatial strategy to drive its transition to net zero while also delivering infrastructure and driving economic development. Fiona Simpson contextualises that the Scottish planning system’s purpose is defined by the 2019 Planning Act which states: “The purpose of planning is to manage the development and use of land in the long-term public interest.” On this, Simpson says: “The emphasis on the long term is really important because that is where planning can really go much further than a lot of policies that might be subject to quicker review cycles.”

National Planning Framework Introduced in 2023, the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is Scotland’s fourth national spatial strategy. It sets out the country’s spatial principles, regional priorities, and for the first time, the national planning policies. Simpson hails the requirement for the NPF to be approved by the Scottish Parliament, saying: “It is really positive to have that level of buy-in at a national scale to quite a radical planning document.”

The framework is supported by a delivery programme, detailing how action on the 33 national planning policies is to be taken forward. The 33 national planning policies are split into three separate sections; sustainable places, liveable places, and productive places. The first section focuses on environmental goals in areas such as climate mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity, waste, and peatlands, which Simpson describes as a “very important issue in Scotland at the moment”. The central policy of this section states: “When considering all development proposals significant weight will be given to the global climate and nature crises.”

Simpson says the second section focuses on “liveable places and is very people focused”. Its policies cover a range of topics including housing, 20-minute neighbourhoods, and flood risk.

The plan also includes 18 national developments, projects occurring across the country that place strong emphasis on the Scottish Government’s environmental goals. These include improving public transport across urban areas, expanding Aberdeen Harbour, and supporting renewable energy developments across the country, including in the Outer Hebrides, Shetland, and Orkney island groups. Noting the large scale and scope of the framework, Simpson says: “When we brought forward the NPF, we were keen to make sure people understood the scale of the ambition and the speed of change that is required.”

Spatial strategy Simpson describes the NPF’s policies as “a means of implementing what is a high-level and long-term spatial strategy”. Describing this approach, Simpson says: “We took a strategic look at Scotland and rose above the administrative boundaries to think spatially where are the areas of common interest, challenge, and opportunity.” Simpson details how each part of Scotland will have different areas of focus but there is a common goal of increasing sustainability and transitioning to net zero. The chief planner says there is a big opportunity in the Highlands for the development of renewable energy, but that significant infrastructure is needed to support the transition. Simpson says there are also significant opportunities in the blue economy in the islands and the north and west coast during the transition, noting that the links with marine planning are a key part of the strategy. In the central area of the country, where Glasgow and Edinburgh are located, there is a focus on “urban greening and how we transform our cities and towns and smaller settlements into much more sustainable models of living”, says Simpson.

Simpson adds: “Often that is for very good reason, because the context is very different in different parts of the country.”

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The third section of the NPF focuses on economic development with policies devoted to tourism, community wealth-building, and rural development, although Simpson adds that there is a “sustainable emphasis built through those policies as well”.

“Although the aspiration was to have a single set of national planning policies that works throughout Scotland and makes the system more predictable, there is varying interpretation of national policy locally,” she says.

Another challenge faced by the Scottish Government is the perception by the development sector that the NPF has been a barrier to development. However, Simpson says this is not borne out by statistics, stating that around 92 per cent of all planning applications are approved and that has not changed significantly since the NPF was adopted. Simpson adds: “The NPF often is a bit of a lightning rod for some of the challenges of our time and the planning system, whether it is in Scotland or in Ireland, is contending with all of these issues.”

Implementation Much of the Scottish Government’s work on implementing the NPF has focused on providing guidance to local planning authorities. The chief planner says her team have already produced guidance on a range of topics that affect planners, including climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, flood risk, and new technologies, such as battery energy storage systems, and hydrogen. Simpson says: “It is not about government telling you who should do what. It is more about working together and exchanging good practice and learning from one another.” The Scottish Government also created the National Planning Hub which provides help to planning authorities to access expertise and supports them with funding to broaden their service capacity. Since its introduction in March 2026, this project has provided over £1 million of support in surge capacity to 50 projects across 20 planning authorities. One example of this support, Simpson notes, is in Orkney where a flood risk survey assessment was supported by the hub, to help planners to better understand future development potential.

Challenges

Concluding, Simpson highlights the important role effective planning policy can have on the local environment as well as on citizens’ lives: “Planning can and must drive change and that requires strong decisions and sometimes difficult choices.

Simpson says that due to the scale and scope of the NPF, there have been several challenges in implementing it.

“We have a responsibility to do the right thing for the environment, and a place-based approach can lock in much wider benefits.”

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The 2024 Act: towards plan-led development

comprising two parts: mandatory principles called national planning policies and measures (NPPMs) and guidance called national planning policy guidance (NPPG).

Jonathan Moore and Rory Ferguson of Fieldfisher Ireland LLP delivered bespoke training on the 2024 Act over the last year to all local authorities, An Coimisiún Pleanála, and the Office of the Planning Regulator.

The Planning and Development Act 2024 is in its third iteration in over 60 years. It is a welcome codification of the much-amended 2000 Act and bears little resemblance to the now rather quaint 1963 Act, write Jonathan Moore, Partner, Planning and Environmental and Rory Ferguson, Director, Planning and Environmental at Fieldfisher Ireland LLP.

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Planning law has seen a rapid evolution over the last 25 years. The enactment follows a period of intense litigation, driven by requirements to comply with EU environmental law; more complex planning decisions; and the implementation of the Aarhus Convention giving immunity from adverse legal costs to any person – individual, eNGO, or developer – that wants to challenge a planning decision. This evolution corresponds with increased pace and scale of housing, infrastructure, and energy development in Ireland. 94

Towards plan-led development Whilst the 1963 Act did not require any significant coordination between planning authorities, the 2000 Act brought in the concept of an integrated planning hierarchy. The 2024 Act strengthens the primacy of the national, regional, and county or city development plans (CDPs) and frameworks. It also introduces the concept of a national planning statement (NPS), replacing ministerial guidelines and

CDPs now must be “materially consistent with” the Government’s National Planning Framework (NPF), regional spatial and economic strategies (RSESs), and NPPMs. In turn, any planning applications have to be decided having regard to the relevant CDP and it can only be materially contravened where particular procedures are undertaken. On the other hand, when making or varying development plans local authorities only have to ‘take due account’ of any relevant NPPG provided reasons for divergence relate to proper planning and sustainable development. This tiered approach to plan-making should ensure consistency whether development is public or private, a oneoff house or an industrial installation, whether located in Donegal or Dublin. Each CDP should be integrated with neighbouring and other functional areas across the State. Whilst leaving adequate scope for local considerations, a plan-led approach coordinates development in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) which allocates public monies to the infrastructure needed to deliver the NPF. The planning process should coordinate public and private investment and set the context for individual planning decisions in a manner that secures long-term proper planning and sustainable development. More importantly, plan-led development can deliver the infrastructure required to address existential issues such as the housing crisis and climate change.

What will a 2024 Act CDP look like? Part 3 of the 2024 Act requires that CDPs set out an “integrated overall strategy”, the framework for proper planning and sustainable development of a functional area. A layperson should easily be able to understand the local authority’s long-term vision for its area from this part of the plan. Six detailed strategies should then establish the requirements to achieve the integrated overall strategy. Every CDP nationwide should address the same issues in each city or county. There will also be a development management statement containing objectives for the control of areas, and uses of land/structures.

What does ‘materially consistent’ mean? The term “materially consistent” is used throughout the 2024 Act but not defined. However, materiality is a common concept in planning law. Materially consistent suggests there is a limited degree of flexibility in terms of a CDP’s consistency with national or regional policy, so as not to give rise to significant public interest or adverse impacts on stakeholders. Material consistency in the planmaking context also appears to mean consistency with the entire NPF and RSES rather than merely the objectives.

Again, “take due account” is a widely used term in the 2024 Act but not defined. It seems to replace the “have regard to” standard under the 2000 Act, which the courts found to be synonymous with “consider” and “take account of”. In other words,

where a planning authority had regard to guidelines, they had to show some consideration of them but not normally provide reasons for departing from them. The additional intensifier ‘due account’ is likely to be interpreted as requiring more weight, and we envisage a court to say it requires adequate reasons for diverging from NPPGs.

What difference does any of this make to planning decisions? The 2024 Act better codifies what the legislature expects of each CDP. It should be easier to understand what a planning authority is required to implement in its plan and easier to hold the process to account during the plan-making stage. Ultimately, it should be easier for stakeholders to understand whether a planning permission accords with the requirements of the relevant CDP. Most planning challenges concern arguments as to misinterpretation of the provisions of a CDP on issues such as density, height, public open space, traffic, and environment. By bringing clarity as to mandatory elements of the CDP and how these apply to development proposals, the 2024 Act aims to remove inconsistency, uncertainty, and ambiguity in CDPs. If CDPs are clearer to stakeholders, and planning applications are more aligned to what is required under the integrated overall strategy of the CDP, then planning departments will find it easier to assess whether or not to grant permission.

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What does ‘take due account’ of mean?

planning report

“The 2024 Act aims to overcome a lot of the problems encountered in the litigation of the last 25 years and reduce the number of challenges to planning decisions in the long term.”

In this way the 2024 Act aims to overcome a lot of the problems encountered in the litigation of the last 25 years and reduce the number of challenges to planning decisions in the long term.

W: www.fieldfisher.com/en-ie/locations/ireland

planning report

Planning and the EU While the European Union has established common environmental standards, there is no EU-wide means through which member states are directed to meet housing and infrastructure standards to achieve these. Against a backdrop of housing shortages, infrastructure pressures, and the transition to a low-carbon economy, there is growing interest in whether greater coordination of planning rules could improve development outcomes across the EU. While the EU does not have high-level union-wide regulations on planning, it sets wider goals through legislation covering environmental protection, energy, transport, and regional development. Key measures include the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, which requires assessments of the environmental effects of specified projects, and the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive, which applies to qualifying plans and programmes, including many land-use strategies. The Habitats and Birds Directives establish protections for designated sites and species, while the Water Framework and Floods Directives influence development through requirements concerning water quality and flood risk. Renewable energy legislation also affects permitting processes for energy infrastructure. These measures establish common obligations but leave member states considerable discretion over how planning systems are organised and how applications are assessed. European spatial planning policy has also developed through nonbinding initiatives, including the European Spatial Development Perspective and the Territorial Agenda. Both aim to promote territorial cohesion, balanced regional development, and better coordination between infrastructure, economic activity, and environmental objectives. 96

The EU Cohesion Policy further influences development through funding for transport, regeneration, and regional infrastructure, although it does not replace domestic planning control measures.

Different national approaches Despite common European obligations, member states retain distinct planning traditions. Germany, having a federal system of government with regional parliaments, operates a strongly plan-led system, combining federal legislation with regional planning and legally binding municipal development plans. Its Federal Building Code provides a structured framework for land use and urban development, offering clarity over permitted development while requiring coordination between levels of government. The Netherlands has traditionally emphasised integrated spatial planning, coordinating housing, transport, water management, and environmental protection. Its Environment and Planning Act, introduced in 2024, consolidated numerous legal frameworks into a more integrated system. France combines national planning legislation with regional strategies, inter-municipal cooperation, and local urban plans. This enables planning decisions to be coordinated across administrative boundaries, particularly in housing and transport.

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Rather than calling for EU-wide approaches to planning, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has been spearheading calls for ‘simplification’ to “reduce the regulatory burden”.

Denmark combines national strategic direction with municipal planning, including mechanisms for managing urban expansion and protecting the countryside. Italy, meanwhile, operates within a national legal framework, but gives regions substantial influence over planning rules, resulting in considerable regional variation.

Is a unified European approach emerging? The European Commission has increasingly recognised the relationship between planning procedures, administrative complexity, and housing supply. Its European Affordable Housing Plan includes a planned Housing Simplification Package for 2027, intended to examine regulatory and administrative barriers affecting housing delivery, including permitting procedures and digitalisation. The Commission has also pursued initiatives on construction sector productivity and cutting regulations aiming to reduce planning delays. However, these proposals should not be confused with a move towards a single European planning code. A common framework for administrative processes, environmental assessments, and digital planning information would represent a more limited form of harmonisation. A comprehensive system standardising zoning, building heights, density, and development rights would raise much

more substantial legal and political questions. Such a system would have to address the EU treaties, subsidiarity, and the continuing responsibilities of national, regional, and local authorities. The direction of travel is therefore towards greater coordination and simplification in specific areas, rather than wholesale harmonisation.

Ireland’s position Ireland’s planning system shares important characteristics with other European plan-led models. The National Planning Framework establishes longterm spatial development objectives, regional strategies provide an intermediate layer of coordination, and local authority development plans set out land-use policies and objectives. Planning applications are assessed against applicable legislation, development plans, national and regional policy, and environmental requirements. Statutory appeal mechanisms and judicial review provide additional routes for challenging decisions. The Planning and Development Act 2024 seeks to strengthen this structure, improve alignment between national and local policy, clarify procedures, and reform the planning appeals system. Its provisions are being commenced in phases, meaning the applicable legal framework must be considered in light of the commencement arrangements. Ireland is also subject to the same core EU environmental obligations as other

member states. These requirements can constrain development where protected habitats, water quality, or other environmental interests are affected, although the precise administrative arrangements remain a matter of national implementation. In this context, Ireland’s planning challenges are mostly focused on a shortage of administrative capacity, exacerbated by the urgent nature of shortages in both infrastructure and, as a consequence, housing.

What would more coordination look like? Greater European coordination could deliver practical benefits through common digital standards, improved environmental assessment procedures, clearer administrative timetables, and the sharing of planning expertise across member states. However, more extensive legislative harmonisation would be considerably more difficult, given differences in constitutional arrangements, property law, settlement patterns, and democratic responsibilities. For Ireland, the experiences of Germany, the Netherlands, and France offer useful examples of how national strategy, regional coordination, and local development control can be combined. However, differences between legal systems mean that individual measures cannot simply be transplanted without considering their institutional context. 97

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Environment Ireland 2026 Fiona McCarthy, Environment Ireland; Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy; Timmy Dooley TD, Minister of State Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment; Claire Downey, The Rediscovery Centre; Eimear Cotter, Environmental Protection Agency; and Joe Duignan, ESB.

Environment Ireland 2026 took place on Thursday 3 September at Croke Park, Dublin. Over 300 delegates attended the event which was held in partnership with ESB; CIRCULÉIRE; Arthur Cox; Skillnet Climate Ready Academy and Tetra Tech. The conference explored the latest developments in environmental policy and updates from across the sector. Delegates in attendance heard from speakers, both visiting and local, from organisations including the European Commission; Department for Climate, Energy and the Environment; Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs; EPA; and European Environment Agency.

Delegates visit the CIRCULÉIRE exhibition stand.

Commissioner Jessika Roswall addressing delegates.

Environment Ireland 2026 delegates.

Minister Andrew Muir MLA addresses delegates.

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Irene Rondini, Irish Green Building Council; Jacinta Conway, Arthur Cox; Fiona Simpson, Scottish Government; Claragh Mulhern, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; Catherine Vilquin, European Council of Spatial Planners; and Hendrik W. van der Kamp, Planning Consultant.

Conall Boland, Tetra Tech; Dorothy Maguire, KEO International Consultants; and Olivier Gaillot, Tetra Tech.

Skillnet Climate Ready Academy exhibition stand.

Eimear Cotter, Director General, EPA presenting to delegates.

Susan Rossney, Chartered Accountants Ireland, asks a question.

Anne Moore, Mark Newman, and Maria Fitzgerald, Gas Networks Ireland, and Jacinta Conway, Arthur Cox.

Ian Marnane, European Environment Agency, addresses delegates.

Sarah Lynch, Queen’s University Belfast; Deborah Spence, Irish Environmental Law Association; and Juan Pablo Martinez, Ibec.

Irish Renewable Gas Conference 2026 Thursday 10 December 2026 Croke Park, Dublin In partnership with

The Irish energy sector is undergoing a transition to a low carbon future. Although much of the focus to date has been on electricity, there is now a need to move the focus towards the transition of Ireland’s natural gas network to low and zero carbon gas sources. By gradually replacing natural gas with renewable biomethane the goal is to deliver a net-zero carbon gas network by 2045 and to reduce emissions across a number of key sectors, including those that are traditionally difficult to decarbonise, like transport, agriculture, industry, and power generation. 0Energy Ireland, in partnership with Gas Networks Ireland, will hold this annual conference on the future of renewable gas in Ireland, involving key stakeholders across the energy sector. The objective of the conference is to give delegates a genuine in-depth understanding of the developments in the gas sector and to investigate potential options for decarbonising Ireland’s natural gas infrastructure.

Speakers include…

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Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available…

Timmy Dooley TD Minister of State Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment David Kelly Chief Executive Officer Gas Networks Ireland Karen Kavanagh Director of Networks and Economic Regulation Commission for Regulation of Utilities Richard Kennedy CEO Carbon AMS Padraig Fleming Biomethane Programme Manager Gas Networks Ireland Claire-Lise Speisser Green Gases European Public Affairs Senior Manager, GRDF, France

Online: renewablegasconference.ie

Lucy Field Principal AFRY Alan Farrell Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy Liquid Gas Ireland Ian Marshall Head of Business Development and Policy Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE), Queen's University Belfast Vicente Monje Senior Consultant Biogas Ramboll, Denmark

Charles Kane Chief Executive Officer Greengate Biogas

Morgan Burke Chief Operating Officer Stream BioEnergy John-Paul Gilroy Business Development Manager College Group James Manley Country Manager, Ireland CycleØ

Join Ireland’s leading organisations in partnering with the Irish Renewable Gas Conference 2026. There are a small number of high-profile sponsorship and exhibition packages available. For further information on how your organisation can benefit contact us directly on +353 (0)1 661 3755 or email rebecca.sterritt@energyireland.ie

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