What Ireland’s New Infrastructure Plan Means for Builders and Developers — And How Digital Tools Like Hub360 Strengthen Project Delivery

Ireland’s new Accelerating Infrastructure – Report and Action Plan marks a structural shift in how the State intends to deliver roads, utilities, housing, and major infrastructure. While much of the discussion focuses on planning reform and public-sector coordination, the implications for builders and developers are equally significant.

The message is clear: projects must move faster, documentation must be more consistent, and digital transparency will be expected across the entire project lifecycle.

For developers, main contractors, subcontractors, and materials hauliers, this means adapting to a new operating environment where data quality, predictability, and digital workflows will play a critical role in winning work, securing approvals, and avoiding costly delays.

This blog explains what the new plan means for industry practitioners on the ground — and how Hub360 provides a practical solution aligned to the State’s digital ambitions.

The Pressure on Delivery Is Increasing — And Developers Are at the Centre of It

The Government states clearly that Ireland’s current infrastructure system is “overly complex, sequential, and fragmented,” contributing to long timelines, higher costs, and uncertainty for project sponsors.

At the same time:

• Population growth is accelerating

• Housing demand continues to outpace supply

• Utility and transport upgrades must be delivered faster

• Planning, permitting, and coordination requirements are intensifying

Developers and contractors sit at the nexus of these pressures. The industry is being asked to deliver more, deliver faster, and deliver with greater transparency.

Why Action 26 Matters to the Private Sector

Although Action 26 is directed at government, its outcomes directly influence how developers and builders must operate.

Action 26 commits to:
“Apply AI and Digital Tools to Support Infrastructure Rollout.”

This includes:

• AI-driven analytics to identify bottlenecks and predict infrastructure needs

• Digital platforms integrating planning and permitting data across agencies

• Geospatial and predictive modelling tools for site optimisation

• Dashboards for monitoring progress and risks in real time

For developers, this signals a clear shift:

1. The State expects digital-grade data from builders

Paper dockets, manual compliance logs, and inconsistent documentation will increasingly be incompatible with the new digital workflows that councils and agencies are adopting.

2. Visibility and traceability will become standard

When planning and permitting data becomes integrated across agencies, private contractors will need to demonstrate accurate, timely operational records.

3. Delays caused by missing data or poor coordination will become less tolerated

The plan emphasises early risk identification, bottleneck detection, and integrated timelines. Builders must provide clean, prompt information to keep projects moving.

4. Contractors with digital capacity will have competitive advantage

As AI-driven insights and dashboards become standard in public-sector oversight, suppliers who can feed structured digital data into these systems will be preferred partners.

How Hub360 Helps Builders and Developers Meet the New Expectations

Hub360 provides a practical, project-site-ready digital workflow platform that aligns directly with the direction of the State’s Action Plan — without requiring builders to adopt heavy, complex enterprise systems.

Below are the key areas where Hub360 delivers immediate value.

1. Digital Record-Keeping That Replaces Paper Dockets

The national plan stresses the need to move away from “overly paper-based processes” toward digital documentation.

Hub360 digitises:

• Delivery dockets

• Material movements

• Waste transfer documentation

• Compliance certificates

• Subcontractor and haulier logs

• Photo-based site records

This ensures builders always have audit-ready, timestamped evidence that can be shared with councils, utilities, engineers, or clients.

2. Real-Time Oversight of Subcontractors and Hauliers

Developers frequently face coordination challenges across:

• Multiple subcontracting teams

• Third-party hauliers

• Quarries and facilities

• Traffic management providers

Hub360 provides:

• Real-time tracking and visibility of movements

• Digital validation of delivery and tipping events

• Automatic logs tied to specific jobs or permits

• Clear responsibilities and transparent data flows

This aligns perfectly with the State’s push for integrated digital workflows and early risk identification.

3. Unified Data for Planning, Permitting, and Handover

As the Government builds integrated planning and permitting platforms, developers will increasingly need structured, digital project data.

Hub360 supports this by:

• Structuring site activity data in consistent formats

• Linking records to GPS and timestamps

• Supporting integration with council-facing platforms

• Automating compliance reporting

• Providing exportable documentation for handover packs

Builders who adopt systems like Hub360 will simply be better equipped to operate in a digitally integrated approvals environment.

4. Risk Reduction Through Transparent Workflows

The Action Plan emphasises identifying risks early and reducing uncertainty across project timelines.

Hub360 provides:

• Dashboards highlighting delays or compliance gaps

• Automated alerts for expired permits or missing documentation

• Clear audit trails that reduce dispute risk

• Mobile reporting for supervisors and subcontractors

• Predictable workflows that reduce rework and downtime

This results in more reliable programme execution and fewer surprises for clients or authorities.

5. Stronger Positioning for Public-Sector Work

As local authorities and utilities adopt AI-enhanced planning tools and real-time dashboards, contractors will need to supply structured operational data.

Hub360 positions developers to:

• Demonstrate modern digital capability

• Feed consistent, high-quality data into council workflows

• Reduce administrative burden on both sides

• Strengthen tender submissions with demonstrable digital processes

• Build trust with clients through transparency and professionalism

In a competitive tender environment, digital readiness will increasingly influence award decisions.

What Builders and Developers Should Do Now

To align with the new national direction, developers should:

1. Digitise site operations now to avoid being left behind.

2. Standardise documentation across subcontractors and hauliers.

3. Adopt platforms like Hub360 that produce reliable, structured, audit-ready data.

4. Prepare for integrated permitting, planning, and reporting workflows with councils.

5. Use data to reduce risk, increase predictability, and win more work.

The companies that act early will gain a first-mover advantage.

Conclusion: Digital Capability Is Becoming a Core Construction Competency

Ireland’s infrastructure reforms place new expectations on developers to provide clean, digital, transparent operational data.

Action 26 reinforces this direction by establishing AI, dashboards, integrated platforms, and predictive modelling as the future norm for project oversight and coordination.

For builders and developers, this means:

• Faster decisions

• Higher data expectations

• Greater accountability

• Stronger demand for transparent digital workflows

Hub360 enables construction companies to meet these expectations immediately, reduce risk, streamline compliance, and deliver projects with higher confidence and lower friction.