AI Infrastructure: Smarter, Faster Project Delivery for Ireland

Ireland’s €275bn infrastructure plan is underway - AI tools are helping teams plan smarter, build faster and deliver better.

In brief

• Ireland’s €275B infrastructure plan is using AI to improve strategy, speed up approvals, and deliver smarter transport and energy systems.
• AI agents help teams make faster decisions, reduce delays, and stay on budget, supporting real-time insights across public and private projects.private projects.

AI: How to build a faster, better, smarter infrastructure for Ireland

Let’s get the foundations right

The new National Development Plan is backed by €275 billion in public investment between now and 2035. That’s the biggest infrastructure budget in the history of the State. It’s a chance to rethink how we build, how we plan, and how we deliver. It’s giving us momentum.

And technology is an integral part of the story. AI agents are already helping teams around the world plan better, spot risks earlier and make quicker decisions. In construction, they track progress in real time, flag delays before they happen and suggest ways to stay on budget. In transport, they help model traffic flows and test different scenarios on building roads before a single cone is dropped. They give planners, engineers and decision-makers better information, at speed.

The same practical use of AI is happening in Ireland. From local councils to national agencies, teams are using AI to manage data, accelerate approvals and improve how projects are delivered. The opportunity now is to go further and faster, to fully embed these tools to help deliver on NDP promises.

Getting out of first gear.

Ireland has no shortage of ambition. But ambition doesn’t build roads, houses, or hospitals. Grand plans aside, our challenge is execution.  Getting projects moving and staying on track has been a concern in the past but, despite negative headlines, this has categorically not been an issue across the board. Here are two hugely impactful infrastructure initiatives where progress is moving at the right pace:

1. To date, through the National Broadband Plan over 310,000 premises now have fibre access. More than 100,000 homes and businesses are connected. The rollout covers 96% of the country’s landmass. Over 950 Broadband Connection Points are live in schools and communities. Take-up rates are strong, hitting 50% in some areas. The build is 86% complete and ahead of schedule. Full delivery is expected by 2026. The plan is boosting jobs, education, and rural development.
2. An entirely different type of project is the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme in Cork City. This project aims to protect over 2,000 properties from flooding. It’s part of Ireland’s broader climate resilience strategy and is advancing smoothly through planning and design stages. Construction is due to start next year.

Ready for take-off?

Staying on track mid-project can be difficult and deadlines move, but getting started can also be challenging.

Our delays are often before construction even begins. Processes, appeals, planning, documentation, these are all tasks that need deep research, expertise and a speed of processing information that hasn’t existed prior to now. But, following the accelerated development of generative AI in the last 3 years, we now have an ideal solution ready to go.

Other historic causes of delay in infrastructure projects include over-caution and departments not working cohesively together. But, once these issues are acknowledged and addressed, getting things off the ground becomes a much simpler task.  And, when stakeholders are held accountable there is real impetus to cut through red tape and keep on track.

Giving credit where it is due, here are two examples of transformative infrastructure that demonstrate capability and excellence:

• Luas, Dublin Port Tunnel keeps heavy trucks out of the city centre, making Dublin safer and less congested. By linking directly to the motorway, it supports smoother traffic and boosts trade. It’s a great example of strategic infrastructure investment that supports economic growth and long term, smart planning for the capital.
  
  
• The Oweninny Wind Farm in County Mayo is a standout example of successful infrastructure delivery. Ireland’s largest onshore wind farm, Oweninny, generates enough clean electricity to power approximately 140,000 homes and businesses annually. In addition, it supplies clean energy to the national grid, supporting our climate targets. This project was completed on time and on budget.

These initiatives show that success is possible when planning is tight, communication is clear, and decision cycles are fast.

Five Ways AI Can Accelerate Projects.

Teams around the world are using AI to speed things up and make fewer mistakes. These tools help with planning, public feedback, supply chains, rules and regulations, and keeping everyone informed. Here are five ways AI agents can help projects move faster and finish stronger.

1. Planning & Modelling: Always-updated scenarios using live data

By enabling dynamic modelling based on real-time data, AI will forever change infrastructure planning In Ireland.  AI can rapidly analyse millions of design options to identify the most efficient solutions. Globally, cities like Singapore and Helsinki use AI-powered digital twins to simulate urban development and infrastructure stress points. Closer to home, ESB teamed up with EY and Akselos to build a cutting-edge digital twin of the Turlough Hill hydro station.  It delivers real-time insights and predictive maintenance, helping extend asset life and reduce downtime. This innovation reinforces ESB’s leadership in sustainable energy and future-ready infrastructure.

2. Public Engagement:

Sorting and summarizing feedback for quicker consensus, Natural Language Processing (NLP) Tools are now helping governments analyse feedback from consultations and social media. In Dublin, Smart Dublin uses AI to interpret and respond to citizen sentiment from online platforms. In the UK, AI chatbots now answer public queries during major transport consultations.

3. Supply chains: what’s next?

AI platforms can forecast material demand and identify risk, helping supply chains become faster, smarter and more resilient. An Post in Ireland now uses AI to optimize delivery routes and anticipate logistics bottlenecks.  AI platforms help large contractors in Australia track material availability and delivery delays.  AI tools support better workforce and resource planning, helping teams align skills, schedules, and materials more effectively across projects.

4. Compliance: automatic updates:

AI is being used to monitor compliance with environmental and safety regulations. In Ireland, machine learning models assess biodiversity risks and pollutant levels during infrastructure planning. Across Europe, AI systems are being aligned with the EU AI Act to ensure automated risk. These platforms also support the creation of documentation required to meet government and EU policies, improving efficiency and accuracy when producing reports, permits, and other compliance materials.

5. Progress tracking

Real time project tracking is replacing manual reporting with predictive analytics on Infrastructure projects. In Ireland HubCap uses AI to monitor bus route efficiency and delays. Globally, platforms like EdrawMax AI analyse Gantt charts and provide automated updates, risk alerts, and optimisation suggestions for project managers. More sophisticated tools are also emerging that can simulate different project scenarios helping teams test options, anticipate challenges, and make better decisions before committing resources.

Borrowing AI best practise

Countries like Singapore, the UK and Australia are already using AI to solve the problems we face here. Singapore’s transport system uses live data to manage traffic and plan routes in real time. The UK is upgrading its national grid with AI tools that spot faults before they cause blackouts. In Australia, mining companies use AI to predict downtime and keep things moving. These systems are working well across the world, will work just as well in Ireland.

Governance –a tool to expedite vs a tick box exercise.

AI will help us move faster, but only if we build trust. That means protecting people’s data, making sure algorithms are clear and fair, and keeping humans in charge of final decisions. Ireland has already taken steps. The Government’s AI Guidelines for the Public Service require human oversight, transparency, and privacy protections for every AI tool used.The EU AI Act, now in force, sets rules for high-risk systems and demands regular checks for bias and accuracy 

Pilot projects are underway across public services, with civil servants encouraged to test AI tools in safe, controlled settings. A phased rollout and strong governance are already happening. This has left the blueprint stage.

In conclusion,

To reiterate the main point here, this is the moment to act. We need government, engineers and tech firms working together, now. That could mean a national taskforce, a shared innovation fund or a pilot project that shows what’s possible. The tools are ready. The ideas are proven. If we get this right, by 2035 we could be using the MetroLink, have the housing crisis behind us, and see our energy challenges fully sorted.

Summary

Ireland is investing €275 billion in infrastructure, and AI is helping make it happen faster and smarter. From transport to energy, AI tools are improving planning, cutting delays, and helping teams make better decisions. Real projects like the National Broadband Plan and Oweninny Wind Farm show what’s possible when tech and teamwork come together.