Effective investment in infrastructure is vital to enabling sustainability, health and wellbeing and long-term prosperity, Engineers Ireland has stated in a recent policy document. "Yet we now face a ‘perfect storm’ of pressures on our infrastructure", it said, and goes on to list:
- Demographics: the population of Ireland has reached 5,149,139 in 2022 and is expected to increase by another million in the next 20 years;
- Climate action obligations: EPA projections suggest that greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 will only be approximately 29% below 2018 levels, far behind our 51% reduction target;
- Significant capital is now available, but capacity constraints create undersupply issues across the board in: engineering, contractors, and environmentalists.
Capital investment and resourcing
Capital investment fell dramatically during the recession, and there are now serious infrastructural deficits in many sectors. In 2023, Ireland was ranked the second most competitive country in the world, but it highlighted that infrastructure remains broadly static.
The European Commission’s Country Report Ireland 2023 highlighted some progress in housing, water, public transport, and climate change mitigation capacity but still seen as poor.
Engineers Ireland strongly supports increased capital investment as part of a sustainable approach to enhancing economic recovery but highlights the need for increased resources to support the sector.
Engineers Ireland has expanded its membership of global engineers and chartered engineers while working with third-level education to accredit and modernise programmes as efforts to develop these resources.
Organisations such as TASC and IBEC have estimated that capital investment would need to double to meet our infrastructural needs and support future growth and prosperity.
Planning and prioritising investment
According to the OECD, best practice in strategic infrastructure planning points to providing “stable long-term direction to infrastructure investment whilst retaining the flexibility needed to deal with uncertainty over long horizons”.
As a State, we need both civil infrastructure (transport, energy, water/wastewater, waste, communications) and social infrastructure (education, social housing, health, childcare). These facilities must be planned and prioritised to meet future needs sustainably and to transform land use patterns, where necessary.
The National Development Plan 2021-30 has decided to increase exchequer capital investment to an average of 5% GNI over the period 2021-30.
This level of investment should provide a strong pipeline of projects. It is essential that this investment is directed by strategic planning policies such as the National Planning Framework.
Due to resource constraints, it will still be necessary to explore alternative and innovative methods of infrastructure construction such as timber construction and MMC.
Going forward
According to a survey conducted by Engineers Ireland, two areas of infrastructure require immediate attention: housing and transport.
Housing has been a persisting problem in Ireland for years, and there is an opportunity to reimagine and redesign our cities and communities, and even how we travel, work, and live.
To address this issue, the government should consider investigating the 'bungalow blitz' model created by Jack Fitzsimons in 1971, which includes 20 designs for homes for self-build, and expand the concept with ideas from MMC.
The government should also expand the application of the Vacant Site Levy. Moreover, we should recognise the environmental impact of one-off housing and only allow those with a demonstrable economic or social need to build these homes in rural areas under urban influence.
Transport infrastructure in Ireland has historically been car-focused and under-resourced. As we move towards a carbon-free future active travel infrastructure will need to become the default and must be integrated with the existing transport systems of rail and road. Transport infrastructure must be considered in the context of housing and building infrastructure.
One of the biggest challenges for Ireland is how to find the people to support initiatives like the National Development Plan (NDP). Engineers Ireland is in developing skills in engineering and environmental considerations through the Chartered Environmentalist title. Additionally, our non-profit STEPS Programme strives to promote engineering as a viable career path for students in all communities by showcasing STEM role models.
To continue delivering on our infrastructure ambitions, the government must incentivise more graduates to pursue STEM courses and provide the necessary resources for the future while attracting foreign engineers into the country.
National Investment Office (NIO)
Previously, Engineers Ireland had suggested the creation of an Infrastructure Policy Centre, and the government has responded positively by establishing a delivery board model called the NIO under the Department of Public Expenditure.
The NIO serves as a policy centre, dedicated to ensuring the development of the National Development Plan (NDP). It has brought together policy-makers, delivery agents, external experts, and senior academics to discuss issues such as regional balance, housing, climate change, and value-for-money in capital project appraisal.
The NIO conducts an annual conference that brings these groups together to explore these topics. It has also created a network for delivery professionals to connect and learn from each other, thereby instilling a culture of excellence in infrastructure delivery across the public service.