Will the Government’s new plan speed up the delivery of vital infrastructure projects?

Plus, the new auto-enrolment pension scheme begins on January 1st – are employers ready?

Listen | 38:18
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris launching the Accelerating Infrastructure – Report and Action Plan at Government Buildings. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins Photos
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris launching the Accelerating Infrastructure – Report and Action Plan at Government Buildings. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

On this week’s episode of Inside Business, we look at the sluggish delivery of large and necessary infrastructure projects that has been a feature of several successive Governments.

A population surge means building more and better infrastructure for transport, water and housing has become increasingly urgent.

The Government unveiled a new plan this week. The Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce contains 30 actions and deadlines by which projects have to be completed.

This comes at a time when there are legal delays to the Greater Dublin Drainage project, and potentially to the capital’s MetroLink too.

To get some insight into whether a plan like this can address the key issues holding back delivery, host Cliff Taylor was joined on the line by taskforce member and Chairperson of IDA Ireland, Feargal O’Rourke.

Also in this episode, Irish Times Deputy Business Editor Dominic Coyle on the new pension auto-enrolment scheme ‘My Future Fund’ which begins on 1 January.

How many employees will be opted in? Are companies ready? What are the concerns of employer groups like Ibec? And are employers already gaming the system?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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