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Fianna Fáil T.D for Dublin North West, Paul McAuliffe , has welcomed the governments firm commitment to the MetroLink project following the publication of the National Development Plan.
As stated in the National Development plan published this week “The project is likely the largest ever public investment project in the history of the State and this Government is committed to its funding and delivery as quickly as possible.”
During construction it is estimated that MetroLink will support approximately 8,000 direct construction jobs, while once in operation it will carry around 53million passengers in its opening year and create new connections between 127 schools, three Third Level institutions and five hospitals. Since 2018 the project has undergone two extensive non-statutory public consultation processes, during which thousands of submissions were received and considered. Those public consultation periods have helped inform the development of the Preferred Route, which is now being readied for submission to An Bord Pleanála for statutory planning approval, subject to Government approval in the coming months.
“Once the preliminary business case receives Government approval in the coming months the MetroLink project will enter the statutory planning phase in early 2022. The funding that we have provided in this NDP will allow the project to move off the drawing board, as such, and into construction.
I raised the issue of the Metrolink with the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Transport in the Dáil recently and they confirmed that the Government remain committed to the Metrolink project. The National Development Plan published this week reconfirms this commitment and a Railway Order application to An Bord Pleanála is currently in preparation, as is an Environmental Impact Assessment. I have also requested that TII and Metro appear before the Public Accounts Committee in order to identify whether there are any delays to the project. The northside of the city needs this project delivered as soon as possible and this week’s governments commitments go a long way towards construction starting on this much awaited project” Concluded McAuliffe.