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GOVERNMENT MUST INVEST IN THE PLANNING SYSTEM TO ACCELERATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND HOUSING DELIVERY IN BUDGET 2024 , SAYS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FEDERATION
Construction delegation will meet with Government on Monday 18th September to outline budgetary recommendations .
The Construction Industry Federation is calling on the Government to allocate additional funding to ease bottlenecks across planning and delivery bodies to accelerate infrastructure and housing delivery in Budget 2024 .
The federation will meet with Government on Monday , 18th September to discuss its pre-budget submission .
Hubert Fitzpatrick , Director General of the Construction Industry Federation said : “ One of the biggest challenges to delivering on infrastructure and housing is the current under-investment in the people , processes and technology that support the planning system . We look forward to the upcoming publication of the Planning and Development Bill , but the planning system is critically under-resourced in terms of its staffing levels , alongside its digital and administrative resourcing .
“ While recent measures were announced to improve resourcing at An Bord Pleanála , it is imperative that we see an increase in the number of decisions of planning applications at An Bord Pleanála , in the coming weeks and months . There is a considerable backlog in planning applications that are delaying housing and infrastructure provision at a critical time in Ireland ’ s population and economic growth .
“ Roll out of the national online planning portal should be accelerated to enable planning applications to be submitted digitally , encouraging faster , more efficient planning processes .
“ Our growing population , which stands at over five million people , requires a surge in our levels of housing and infrastructure delivery , energy , water and transport upgrading , alongside the decarbonisation and digitalisation needed for a greener , future-proofed economy .
“ It is critically important that implementation and timecritical decision making become features of our planning system , so that infrastructure is delivered in a timely and efficient manner to support growth .”
The federation ’ s pre-budget submission identifies recommendations on resourcing the planning system , infrastructure and regional development , residential supply , sustainability and cultivating people , skills and capacity .
Read the Construction Industry Federation ’ s Budget 2024 submission .
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