Infrastructure Fast-Track Plans Advance in Ireland and Canada with Different Approaches

Ireland's government announced legislative plans for a Critical Infrastructure Bill that will fast-track infrastructure projects and programmes designated as "critical" through the approval process, subject to Dáil approval. Once infrastructure has been designed, all State bodies involved in the approval process will be required to prioritise their consideration of it and cooperate and coordinate with each other.

The legislation "will create a fast-track channel through existing processes for designated critical infrastructure where projects go to the top of the queue for assessment by decision making bodies," according to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. The Department will work closely with the Office of the Attorney General to draft the legislation over the coming weeks with a view to commencing the legislation in the Oireachtas "at the earliest possible opportunity."

In Canada, it's been more than six months since Prime Minister Mark Carney's plan to fast-track infrastructure projects of national importance became law, but the conveyor belt hasn't really started moving yet. Parliament passed Bill C-5 — the One Canadian Economy Act — in June 2025, creating the Major Projects Office to speed up the permitting of projects the federal government deems important to Canada's national interest.

As of now, the Major Projects Office has not accepted any projects. Cabinet will have final say on which of the 13 projects end up on the fast track. When this happens, the chosen projects will get upfront federal approvals "shifting the focus of regulatory review from 'whether' to proceed to 'how' the project can proceed." It's not clear when cabinet will start this work, but from there, the idea is projects get federal permitting within two years.

The review process for large infrastructure projects in Nunavut often takes between seven and 10 years. The B2Gold Goose Gold Mine opened in September after a decade-long push that included federal and territorial permitting, environmental and water licensing and feasibility studies.

The Nunavut government and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. have identified four "nation-building" projects on their fast-track wish list — Qikiqtarjuaq port, Iqaluit hydroelectric project, Kivalliq hydro-fibre link and Grays Bay road and port. All have been in the works for decades, with plans for a deepsea port in Qikiqtarjuaq going back to the 1950s.

Construction on Iqaluit's $500-million hydroelectric power plant project, led by Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corp., could start in 2028 — two years sooner than initially estimated. However, the CEO and president rejected the idea the hydro plant will be fast-tracked. That's because the Major Projects Office can only help with federal permits. "The project must move through the [Nunavut Impact Review Board] process and receive approval there in order for construction to be possible," a manager for Nukkiksautiit Corp. said. "Being named to the nation-building projects list does not mean that the project is fast-tracked."

The Major Project Office's role is to co-ordinate federal and local permitting so approvals happen in tandem. The federal northern affairs minister has final say on NIRB recommendations under the Nunavut Agreement, but that power is limited. The minister can reject a recommendation that a project not proceed by deeming the project has "importance in the national or regional interest," according to the Nunavut Agreement. The minister must then send the proposal back to the review board for reconsideration.

Carney's list of 13 projects, including Iqaluit's hydro project, are not guaranteed to be accepted into the Major Project Office's fast-tracking system. But the Major Projects Office can also help projects co-ordinate reviews across federal departments to reduce risk.