Prioritize Infrastructure Projects: Calls for Urgent Action
- A leading infrastructure expert warns Ireland's declining ranking in basic infrastructure threatens it's economic competitiveness, calling for radical changes and improved coordination.
- Michele Connolly, former partner and Head of Global Infrastructure at KPMG and a member of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, has strongly advocated for prioritizing infrastructure projects in Ireland.Speaking...
- Despite being ranked as the most competitive country in the Eurozone and seventh globally in the 2025 World Competitiveness Rankings from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD),...
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Ireland Urged to Prioritize Infrastructure Delivery to Boost Competitiveness
Table of Contents
A leading infrastructure expert warns Ireland’s declining ranking in basic infrastructure threatens it’s economic competitiveness, calling for radical changes and improved coordination.
the Call for Prioritization
Michele Connolly, former partner and Head of Global Infrastructure at KPMG and a member of the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, has strongly advocated for prioritizing infrastructure projects in Ireland.Speaking at the Dublin Economics Workshop in Wexford, Connolly emphasized that robust infrastructure is “the critical enabler of long-term global economic growth.” Without it, she argued, Ireland risks losing its competitive edge and hindering its economic potential.
Ireland’s Competitiveness Ranking: A paradox
Despite being ranked as the most competitive country in the Eurozone and seventh globally in the 2025 World Competitiveness Rankings from the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Ireland’s performance in basic infrastructure
is surprisingly low. The country currently ranks 44th out of 69 nations, a notable drop from 38th place last year. This disparity highlights a critical weakness that Connolly believes must be addressed urgently.
| Ranking Category | 2024 Rank | 2025 rank |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Competitiveness | 7th | 7th |
| Eurozone Competitiveness | 1st | 1st |
| Basic Infrastructure | 38th | 44th |
identifying the Bottlenecks
connolly pinpointed bureaucratic processes and a lack of coordination as major obstacles to efficient infrastructure delivery. she stated, ”We need to be more radical. We need to do more. We need to cut more time off the different and the myriads of processes and procedures that are there.” A key issue is the misalignment of priorities between various stakeholders, including government departments, agencies, the private sector, courts, and local authorities.
She stressed the need for a unified approach, stating, “We need them all singing off the same hymn sheet, because very often you find what’s a priority project for one department or one agency, might be number five on the list of priorities for a different one.”
The Impact of Judicial Reviews
Connolly also addressed the impact of judicial reviews on infrastructure projects,suggesting they contribute to delays. While acknowledging the importance of due process, she implied a need to streamline the legal challenges to avoid hindering essential development. Further details on her specific proposals regarding judicial reviews were not provided in the source material.
Looking Ahead: Potential Solutions
While the