TII Welcomes Government Decision to Accelerate the Delivery of MetroLink and Galway City Ring Road

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) CEO Lorcan O’Connor welcomes today's announcement by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers TD, confirming the designation of MetroLink and the Galway City Ring Road as Critical Infrastructure under newly enacted legislation. The enactment of the Critical Infrastructure Bill provides an essential statutory mechanism to streamline approvals, mandate cross-agency coordination, and accelerate decision-making across the public sector.

The Government's decision is aimed at accelerating the approval and delivery of strategically important projects by requiring public bodies involved in their development and authorisation to prioritise timelines, coordinate processes and enhance cooperation across agencies.

Lorcan O’Connor said: "We welcome the enactment of this pivotal legislation and thank Minister Chambers for prioritising these key projects under the auspices of TII. The designation of MetroLink and the Galway Ring Road as Critical Infrastructure is a powerful vote of confidence in their transformative potential for Ireland’s transport network, economy, and regional development.

"Delivering large projects of this scale requires seamless alignment across every public body involved in the planning, consenting, and environmental approval processes. The streamlined, parallel framework established by this Bill will allow TII, the National Transport Authority and our project teams to maintain momentum, reduce unnecessary administrative timelines, and deliver these critical national assets as efficiently as possible for the public."

TII looks forward to working closely with the Department of Public Expenditure and the Department of Transport, along with the relevant state bodies and local authorities to implement this new fast-track process and progress these designated projects into active delivery.

ENDS

Date published: 24.07.2026