There will be a legal requirement for all statutory bodies and agencies to identify large capital projects for priority under the proposed Critical Infrastructure Bill, expected to be approved by Cabinet on Wednesday.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Infrastructure Jack Chambers will seek Cabinet approval to publish the Bill at the weekly meeting of Government Ministers.
Under the new laws, the Government will be able to designate specific projects that are in the national and public interest as critical infrastructure. These projects can then jump to the top of the queue at each stage of the project approval and delivery cycle.
All relevant statutory bodies and attendant agencies will be legally required to prioritise designated projects in their decision-making process, helping to significantly shorten project life cycles.
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The Bill has been criticised by some Opposition parties and by a number of environmental groups who have warned it will short-circuit the planning process and allow projects to be railroaded through without adequate checks and balances.
The Oireachtas Committee on Infrastructure agreed to waive pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill after the Government used its majority on the committee to force a vote.
It will mean the Bill will be accelerated through the legislative process and could be enacted by summer.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan will seek approval from Cabinet to strengthen the powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) to seize crypto-assets.
Amendments to the Proceeds of Crime and Related Matters Bill 2025 will allow new payment-freezing measures tailored specifically to the technological and operational characteristics of crypto-assets. They will ensure CAB can effectively seize this contemporary form of criminal property through enhanced powers of search, seizure and detention.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will bring a memo proposing a dedicated taskforce for the future development and growth of Cork.
Known as the Cork City Futures Group, it will review the five-year action plan for the city until 2030 and assess its progress and identify any barriers that have arisen.
Its remit includes exploring potential for foreign direct investment, as well as local business expansion and innovation.
It will also be asked to promote Cork’s status as a regional hub and examine how Cork’s arts and culture can be strengthened. It is expected to report by summer.
Minister for Culture Patrick O’Donovan is set to brief Cabinet on Ireland’s plans to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States’ declaration of independence. There will be a digital cultural project mapping Irish music and migration across the US, with plans for live events in Boston and other locations.
An all-island “American presidents’ trail” will highlight Irish ancestral links to US presidents.
Separately, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris said he is “not aware” of any issues in relation to the supply of aviation fuel and that “in general, when it comes to our supply of energy and stocks, we have about 90 days ... as most countries do”.
His remarks came amid the continuing energy crisis caused by the war in Iran.
Speaking to reporters in advance of the annual Savings and Investment Forum in Dublin on Tuesday, Harris said “the challenge in relation to supply is not currently in this part of the world” but that “the longer this conflict goes on the more pronounced the energy crisis becomes and it’s hard to see how Europe and therefore Ireland remains immune from some of those impacts”.
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien will seek approval for regulations that will ban scrambler motorbikes in public places. The new law will be known as Grace’s Law in memory of 16-year-old Grace Lynch, who died after being struck by a scrambler on a pedestrian crossing in Finglas earlier this year.
Under these measures, the use of scramblers will be clearly defined as an offence for the first time.
Minister for Housing James Browne will disclose details of a Vacant Above the Shop Grant, which he is expected to say will boost the conversion of spaces above commercial premises into homes across the country.
The North Kerry Child and Adult Mental Health Scheme (Camhs) Compensation Scheme is also expected to be approved by Cabinet.
