WEALTH September 4, 2026 0 Comments

Why Ireland’s Infrastructure Race Is More Than Just Speed — It’s a Game-Changer for Every Investor and Entrepreneur

When you’re staring down a €275 billion infrastructure commitment, you don’t just sit back and hope for the best — you hustle hard, future-proof, and hit the gas pedal like your country depends on it. Well, turns out Ireland’s got that exact challenge laid out before them, and the recent Guaranteed Irish Construction Forum in Dublin made one thing crystal clear: it’s all about delivering at pace, backed by trusted local supply chains. But here’s the kicker — with global uncertainties swirling and energy security hanging in the balance, can Ireland really pull off big-ticket projects in housing, energy, water, and transport without seriously upgrading its grid capacity? The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the message from top leaders, including Minister Darragh O’Brien, was loud and clear: frontload those projects, invest in skills, manufacturing, and capacity, and turn billions of potential into concrete progress on the ground. This forum wasn’t just talk — it was a wake-up call for Ireland’s infrastructure game and a blueprint for how smart investment in local suppliers can keep the economy robust, competitive, and ready for whatever the future throws at it. Ready to dive deeper? LEARN MORE

Ireland must future proof and deliver with pace on its €275bn infrastructure commitments, the annual Guaranteed Irish Construction Forum in Dublin has heard.

Announced investments in housing, energy, water and transport are dependent on energy security, however, and greater grid capacity is required to facilitate their completion.

With such uncertainty globally, the onus on Ireland is to get projects completed and at pace, Guaranteed Irish said.

This year’s forum, ‘Building Infrastructure at Pace Using Trusted Supply Chains’, brought together senior government and industry leaders to examine the barriers affecting infrastructure delivery.

Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment and Energy Darragh O’Brien attended the event, which was hosted by KPMG Ireland and sponsored by Kingspan.

O’Brien committed to frontload projects and, in return, the private sector has committed with greater certainty to invest in skills, manufacturing and capacity.

“Ireland’s future competitiveness depends on our ability to deliver the infrastructure we need, and to deliver it at pace,” said O’Brien.

“With €275bn in investment available for infrastructure, we have a significant opportunity to execute the infrastructure for the country and strengthen our energy security, grid capacity and resilient supply chains.

“We must ensure this investment translates into projects on the ground.”

Opening the forum, host Carmel Logan, head of real estate at KPMG Ireland, highlighted the significant opportunity facing the country, noting that “Ireland has the ambition, demand, investment capacity and access to capital.

“The priority now is delivering the housing and infrastructure needed to support future growth, competitiveness and long-term prosperity.”

David Kelly, CEO of Gas Networks Ireland, addressed the balance between energy cost, affordability and security of supply.

His contribution examined Ireland’s dependence on the UK for its energy supply, the role of renewables in decarbonising the network and the need to manage emerging risks.

He also highlighted the need to address the negative narrative surrounding data centres and proposed they help fund our renewable agenda.

Michael Hynes, CEO of Evara, welcomed the progress made in the last 12 months through the Accelerating the rate of infrastructure repor” as he provided a housing-delivery perspective,

He focused on the Housing Activation Plan and the factors slowing the delivery of new homes. He examined how constraints outside the direct control of developers, including planning, utilities, access to the grid and supporting infrastructure, affected delivery timelines and investment decisions.

Niall O’Connor, managing director of Kingspan Insulation, discussed the growing appetite among developers to deliver new projects, alongside the continuing difficulties in translating demand into completed homes.

He also addressed competition for skilled workers, including the movement of labour towards data-centre construction, and the procurement changes required to give businesses greater confidence to invest in people, manufacturing and additional capacity.

The importance of maintaining a strong Irish manufacturing base formed a key part of the discussion. O’Connor reminded those in attendance that the Guaranteed Irish House — an ecosystem of licensed businesses operating across Ireland’s construction sector — is an important tool for supporting businesses across the Irish supply chain.

Panellists highlighted how locally based manufacturing could provide greater certainty of supply, reduce exposure to international disruption, control transport costs and emissions, and ensure products were readily available for construction projects in Ireland.

Paul O’Neill, co-head of infrastructure and head of infrastructure strategy and commercial advisory at KPMG Ireland, reflected on Ireland’s progress in infrastructure delivery over the previous 12 months and the lessons that could be learned from other international markets.

His contribution examined major projects such as MetroLink, the importance of providing credible assurances around project delivery and the need to maintain the interest of international infrastructure partners while maximising opportunities for businesses operating in Ireland.

Bríd O’Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish, said: “The forum today brought together our members from Guaranteed Irish House to discuss Ireland’s ambitious plans for the enormous infrastructure challenges required to future proof this country — not just in Dublin, but across our communities which has a direct impact on housing, energy, transport and economic growth.

“Irish suppliers and manufacturers are confident they can deliver, provided there is investment in people, technology and increased production capacity.

“I was delighted to see Minister Darragh O’Brien focusing on Ireland’s competitiveness. A strong domestic supply chain reduces our exposure to international disruption, improves security of supply, particularly if we can move the dial on renewables, Biomethane, wind and solar.

“It also ensures that investment in national infrastructure creates a lasting economic and social return here in Ireland so we can stay competitive regardless of global disruptions.”

Research carried out by KPMG in 2025 says that for every €1,000 generated by Guaranteed Irish member businesses, it supports a further €500 in the Irish economy, showing the monetary value of using member businesses and supporting local supply chains.

Photo: (l-r) David Kelly, CEO of Gas Networks Ireland, Carmel Logan, Head of Real Estate at KPMG Ireland, Paul O’Neill, Co-Head of Infrastructure and Head of Infrastructure Strategy and Commercial Advisory at KPMG Ireland, Bríd O’Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish, Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment and Energy, Darragh O’Brien TD, Sarah Carey, MC and Irish Independent Columnist, Niall O’Connor, Managing Director of Kingspan Insulation, Michael Hynes, CEO of Evara.