Integrated Forward Planning is Key to Escaping Emergency Mindset - Response to the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Report
03 December 2025 - Mechanisms to bring certainty to national infrastructure planning will help to eliminate waste from our current system, but must also be accompanied by integrated forward planning if we are to deliver long-term strategic value for our communities, said the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI), in response to the publication of the Government’s Accelerating Infrastructure Plan.
The RIAI welcomed measures to streamline the current planning system, citing a lack of certainty and predictability that result in significant delays and added costs. The Institute called for clarity and certainty in the system with a focus on strategic, long-term thinking.
“Long-term planning is crucial to the creation of sustainable communities across Ireland. While the removal of immediate roadblocks to our planning and delivery systems is an important step to speeding up the delivery process, it’s vital that we don’t lose sight of the bigger picture and the importance of creating well-designed and integrated infrastructure projects that consider the long-term requirements of population, climate and the economy to ensure value and serve our communities now and in the future,” said Sean Mahon, President of the RIAI.
“Our population growth forecast brings with it an ever-growing challenge to deliver infrastructure to support new homes in compact, urban settings if we are to compete with the best countries in the world for people to live and invest in. We need to move from crisis response and quick fixes to longer-term strategic thinking, implemented in a planned order over time. The delivery of infrastructure cannot be oversimplified. We cannot achieve sustainable communities without long-term integrated planning.”
The RIAI called on the Government to look at best practice in the EU, where many countries use 25-to-50-year statutory development plans to guide effective infrastructure planning. Such plans are key to ensuring proper resource allocation and providing confidence to the construction sector.
“Cities like Helsinki and Copenhagen have long-term development plans which provide the certainty needed to guarantee a continual pipeline of housing and the creation of well-serviced and resilient communities. Ireland urgently needs a long-term plan for the rollout of infrastructure. It is an essential element of any modern planning system.”
Notes to Editor
The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) supports and regulates the architectural profession and promotes the value that architecture brings to society for everyone’s benefit. We work to ensure high standards for consumer protection and have over 3,700 Registered Architects in Ireland.
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