Unlocking Ireland’s infrastructure: from concept to consent

Navigating Ireland’s complex planning and land consent landscape can be fraught with escalating costs and delays. Discover how Dalcour Maclaren helps energy, utilities and infrastructure companies overcome obstacles and accelerate progress.

In Ireland, infrastructure delivery is frequently slowed by protracted planning processes, complex environmental legislation and a disconnect between local regulations and national priorities. These obstacles can significantly inflate timelines and costs.

And there’s no shortage of examples. In Enniscorthy, County Wexford, the fieldwork on a flood relief scheme began in 2003, yet 22 years and five serious floods later, the project has still not broken ground.

More broadly, onshore wind faces a costly and uncertain approval process, threatening the EU-mandated greenhouse gas reduction target and the delivery of affordable green energy.

However, there are tremendous opportunities for Irish infrastructure providers. The Government’s revised National Development Plan includes €112bn funding for infrastructure projects up to 2030. To capitalise on this, developers need the right land consent expertise to unlock consents and accelerate project delivery.

“At DM, we act as the vital link between Irish infrastructure developers, landowners, regulators and communities to move projects from concept to consent without getting stuck in legal, planning or stakeholder deadlock.”

Barriers to infrastructure delivery

Ireland’s rapid population growth and expanding economy are fuelling urgent infrastructure demand. However, planning frameworks and administrative processes have not evolved at the same pace, creating delay. The result is a development landscape defined by persistent and systemic challenges, including:

1. Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) delays

CPOs can compel the sale of land and property to make way for essential infrastructure. Yet in practice, protracted lead times of 18 to 36 months, valuation disputes and formal objections can extend programmes by five years or more and cause significant delay.

2. Increase in legal challenges

Judicial review challenges have risen by 20% in the past year, with High Court and Court of Appeal cases often delaying projects by two to four years. Planning errors and delays create more opportunities for NGOs and community groups to contest proposals.

3. Planning reform

The Planning and Development Act 2024 aims to modernise Ireland’s planning system, streamline approvals and resolve inconsistencies at the local and national level. However, its phased rollout is creating short-term complexity, and early judicial reviews and legal challenges are likely as the courts interpret the new provisions.

4. Zoning and land-use conflicts

Development cycles based on 10-year cycles are failing to keep up with Ireland’s urgent infrastructure priorities. That can make consent a significant obstacle when infrastructure routes cross land parcels with different zoning and local authority jurisdictions. It can also trigger litigation if zoning changes favour particular projects.

Navigating the land consent maze

At DM, we act as the vital link between Irish infrastructure developers, landowners, regulators and communities to move projects from concept to consent.

Our data plays a crucial role, telling us what’s on the ground and where to inform project design and allow for targeted landowner engagement. We have the expertise to deliver high-quality data at scale and pace, ensuring clients can plan, design and execute infrastructure projects with confidence and precision.

We integrate our data with technical, legal and stakeholder expertise to navigate complex legislation and regulatory hurdles. By delivering these services together, instead of fragmented teams working in silos, our seamless land, planning and environmental consenting process removes obstacles and keeps projects on time and on budget.

Jonathan Speers MRICS
Director, UK and Ireland
Email: jonathan.speers@dalcourmaclaren.com
Tel: +44 7827 282 099

Working nationwide with renewable energy developers, and utilities and infrastructure operators, we deliver:

• Land access and acquisition
• Planning and environmental consents
• Land referencing
• Geospatial data management
• Stakeholder engagement
• Property management

We bring local expertise in Irish legislation, CPOs and landowner engagement, backed by a 650+ consultancy team across the UK.

2 Dublin Landings
N Wall Quay, North Wall
Dublin 1, D01 V4A3
Tel: +353 87 123 4567