Chambers Ireland is to hold talks with two Government Ministers over crippling delays in infrastructure which they say are hurting Irish businesses.

The body representing 36 affiliated Chambers of Commerce throughout Ireland will meet with Minister Paschal Donohoe and Minister Jack Chambers to discuss the reforms to infrastructure that they say are impacting the State’s competitiveness.

The meeting will focus on bottlenecks in planning and development that are impacting housing, energy, transport and water services.

Chief Executive Ian Talbot emphasised the urgency of reform: “The era of tolerating delays caused by lengthy planning processes, judicial reviews, and other obstacles must end.

"The impact is no longer theoretical or long-term and it’s being felt by communities and businesses right now. Every delay adds pressure and drives up costs including the cost of living.”

Talbot stressed that Ireland’s ability to remain competitive depends on reliable infrastructure:

“Delays in delivering core infrastructure are constraining growth at a time when we should be leading. We must act with urgency to ensure our economy remains competitive and future-ready amidst increasingly changing geopolitical landscapes.”

He continued: “We are calling for a coordinated, cross-government response to these issues that leverages all available tools, including legislative reform, targeted incentives and improved use of the tax system to fast-track infrastructure projects.

"There has to be a whole-of-Government and State Agency approach to accelerate delivery.

"The State is in a unique position to deploy strategic investment in infrastructure that can revitalise our towns and cities and make up for the infrastructure shortfalls that are increasingly impacting our competitiveness.”

Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie