An illustration of the planned development at the former Central Mental Hospital site in Dundrum, which has been held up for two years by legal challenges. Image: Land Development Agency masterplan

Ireland is losing decades of progress and tens of billions of taxpayers’ money to a system that no longer serves the public interest.

Judicial reviews, once a key check on major planning decisions, have become a weapon of delay, not justice.

Every month, new homes, renewable energy infrastructure, transport links, essential wastewater services and vital grid upgrades are trapped in legal limbo – not because of genuine environmental concerns, but because our laws allow almost anyone with time and a personal crusade to bring the country to a standstill.

What began as an important tool to safeguard communities has become a drag anchor on national development.

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