Dublin is being held up by the delivery of key infrastructure with almost half of businesses in the capital dissatisfied with the pace of delivery of water, wastewater, energy grid, public transport, and housing.
Publishing their third quarter survey of its members Dublin Chamber said projects such as Metro, Dart, the Eastern and Midlands Water Supply Project, and the Greater Dublin Drainage Scheme are still stuck in the early stages of the planning process, with completion dates forecast well into the 2030s and beyond.
The survey found almost half of respondents (45%) are currently dissatisfied with the pace of delivery with an additional 9% reporting to be very unsatisfied.
Head of public affairs, Stephen Browne said the findings are of little surprise:
“We have been banging the drum to accelerate delivery, looking for detailed milestones and deadlines, but progress has been glacial,” he said.
Dublin Chamber said population projections outlined in the National Planning Framework have in the past underestimated growth in Dublin, which has led to underinvestment and a lack of urgency in major infrastructure projects.
“This cannot be the case again once the Department of Housing and Local Government finalises its latest revision of the framework,” Mr Browne said.
“Dublin businesses have been clear for some time, that if sufficient investment in planned projects is not carried out, and on time it will be at the detriment of future generations, while having serious implications for continued investment and growth in our Capital,” he said.
“Now more than ever, Dublin as Ireland’s only international city of scale, needs investment. Not only in housing but in public transport, water and wastewater infrastructure and the grid.
“The issues are not complex, the problems have been identified. What is needed now is the political courage to see them to completion on a reasonable timeline.”
