Irish civil servants to be encouraged to take greater risks on major projects

Civil servants and decision-makers in Ireland's public service are set to be encouraged to embrace greater risk-taking to accelerate the delivery of major projects. Minister for Public Expenditure and Infrastructure Jack Chambers will present a new "risk appetite statement" for critical infrastructure to the Cabinet.

The reforms aim to counter a culture of "risk aversion" that has emerged across the public sector. This caution, driven by concerns over legal challenges, planning complexities, reputational damage, and cost escalations, is seen by the government as a significant contributor to project delays, increased costs, and slower delivery of essential infrastructure in sectors like water, transport, and energy.

A report by the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, chaired by Chambers, highlighted that delivery timelines for energy and transport projects have doubled over the last two decades. The new approach acknowledges that some investments might not proceed as planned or deliver all intended benefits, but argues this is justifiable if it speeds up the overall system. Individual government departments and agencies responsible for water, transport, and energy infrastructure will also be prompted to develop their own sectoral risk appetite statements.

In a separate but related initiative, Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless is urging colleagues to boost apprentice recruitment. While the target of 750 annual registrations by 2025 under the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan was not met, Lawless will report significant growth and the expansion of apprenticeships beyond traditional craft roles. New apprenticeships in Business and Operations, Social Care, and Paramedicine launched in 2026 offer new career pathways within the civil service, healthcare, and social care sectors.

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A report by the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce, which Mr Chambers chairs, found delivery timelines for energy and transport projects have doubled over the past two decades.