Cross-border review of rail network officially launched

All the indications are that the chinese or Italians would design and build it quicker and more efficiently but only within a drastically reformed planning system. The Chinese are probably used to driving projects through any red tape but it could be a frustrating experience here for them.

Agreed. Whatever it takes. With a rapidly increasing population we are facing disaster if things aren't speeded up.

It ultimately comes back to the planning system. Which is designed to handle extensions to semi-ds not major infrastructure. We need to start with a planning amnesty for all major infrastructure projects and all housing projects involving 100+ units. Clear that backlog then put in new rules. 6 months max time for abp to decide, after that it's an automatic grant of planning. Abolish oral hearings, wich are bascially bits of compulsory attendance theatre for aging narcissists. Then abolish the JR process.

I looked briefly online for more information about McWilliam's favoured Chinese solution to an Irish problem. Apart from a lot of uncritical guff from Chinese sources, it would appear that the Serbian-Hungarian rail development is part of the Belt and Road initiative, specifically to enable easier access to Europe for Chinese exports routed via Piraeus.

If there is any country in Europe which is irrelevant for the Belt and Road initiative, then it's Ireland. Just look at a map. 😁

The Chinese state construction company uses slave labour also. And although that might be banned in Serbia, I wouldn't be shocked if the project there did benefit from slave labour in some way. They also don't have a hyper consultative planning system

The Metro is looking like it could cost up to 1bn per km. There is every reason to believe an Italian company would build it for much less. The existing Luas is a great piece of infrastructure but also significantly overran in cost and timeline. Brushing off the cost of the NCH 'for numerous reasons' doesn't mask the disastrous project management. Sure we can build stuff and have done very well but if you're satisfied with the level of spending, overruns and claims good for you. I'd prefer a more efficient means of delivery.

Just to correct one point.

LUAS Cross-City was opened in December 2017 without sufficient trams having been delivered to maintain existing service levels along the line between St. Stephen's Green and Brides Glen.

This caused major capacity problems south of Sandyford, where frequency had to be cut in order to meet the political deadline for the cross-city section to open in December 2017.

It was six months later in June 2018 before that was finally corrected and service levels restored.

Some of what you say is quite wrong, especially any amnesty, Abolishing Judicual Review might well run up against basic Constitutional barriers. However a 6-month deadline for planners would make them concentrate on really serious cases ( they will always argue for more resources ad infinitum), and maybe a serious curtailment of oral hearings would be

Also just look at the CACR project, flying along. Reason: the project bypassed the planning 'system'

I was thinking of the capital spend on the project as a whole to be honest.

I take your point re Sisk.

Another very underrated project to add to your list is the second runway at Dublin Airport. No hundreds of articles about how terrible we are at planning and delivering - it was delivered with the minimum of fuss and the only news items you see about it now are complaints about the way that it's being used.

Baldonnel is the obvious one, link it to the Red Luas line.