The Governments critical infrastructure designation would have been far more useful for early-stage regional transit stalled in planning, such as Luas for Cork, Luas to Lucan, or the Western Rail Corridor, one of the countys top transport experts has argued. The Government yesterday designated nine projects, including three transport projects, as critical infrastructure. The transport projects include MetroLink, the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme, and the Galway City Ring Road.Brian Caulfield, professor in transportation and director of the Trinity Centre for Transport Research at Trinity College Dublin, said that since MetroLink and Cork Commuter Rail are already past early planning stages, the fast-track designation offers little practical gain.He also pointed out that Ireland faces infrastructure delivery issues that seem to be beyond designations, including massive capacity bottlenecks from shortages in skilled civil engineering labour, housing for workers, and multi-project coordination.Caulfield penned an article in the Business Post yesterday outlining how he thinks the designation is yet another vote of confidence in the projects necessity, but that it could argue that the primary benefits of this status, namely accelerating planning and resolving statutory delays, are largely behind it. He questioned: What can this new designation provide for a project that has already jumped through multiple hoops, over decades, to reach its current stage?Referring to the Cork Area Commuter Rail being delivered, on a phased basis, and MetroLink awaiting final cabinet approval, he said: The logic behind this new designation remains questionable. For all intents and purposes, both projects are already assumed to be happening.The primary value of the Critical Infrastructure Act is to assist projects currently bogged down in planning that would otherwise face years of statutory delays (as MetroLink did), said Caulfield. Projects like a Luas for Cork, a Luas extension to Lucan, or the Western Rail Corridor could have gained significant momentum from being included on the list.While these projects have also been discussed for decades, none are at an advanced planning stage. That said, it is hard to brand these proposals as overly visionary; a Luas line to Lucan, for example, has been on the agenda since the Dublin Transportation Office published A Platform for Change roughly 26 years ago, he wrote.He said that given that the Galway Ring Road faces significant legal and environmental challenges on climate grounds, a critical infrastructure designation could help expedite its delivery, but added: doing so directly conflicts with our transport emissions targets. International evidence, alongside several domestic examples, consistently demonstrates that increasing road capacity does not reduce overall congestion or emissions in the long run. We need only look at the M50 to see how expanding outer orbital capacity ultimately feeds more traffic into the inner city.Projects will go to the top of the queue for faster processing and decision makingJack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, said: The designated projects effectively go to the top of the queue for faster processing and decision making by public bodies. Each one of the projects designated are of strategic national importance.He added: The new Critical Infrastructure Act provides the legal framework necessary to ensure that priority projects receive the focus they need. This marks a major step in accelerating the delivery of essential energy, water and transport infrastructure across the country and fulfils a key commitment of the Governments Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan.Irish Rail yesterday welcomed the new status for their Cork rail project. Mary Considine, Irish Rails chief executive, said: Todays critical designation by Government prioritises the Cork Area CommuterRailProgramme and enables Iarnrd ireann to accelerate delivery of this transformative package of projects.She added: By streamlining the decision-making process around the programmes delivery, Iarnrd ireann will be able to deliver 8 new stations and a high-capacity, high-frequency and more sustainablerailnetwork more quickly for Cork.We thank the Government for prioritising this important project which will bring improvedrailservices and improved quality of life to local communities.Environmental and planning groups criticised the passing of the Critical Infrastructure Act 2026 earlier this year because it removes public authorities requirements to follow the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 provision to have regard to the climate impact of projects which have gained the critical infrastructure designation. The Green Party took aim at Sinn Fin and Social Democrats for siding with the Government on the Climate Action Act and said it was a blow to climate action in Ireland.