Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is no problem. In relation to MetroLink. It is a project that does not impact just my constituency. The Minister and I have a lot in common in relation to public transport matters, one of which is Metrolink. I am a huge advocate for the delivery of that project, but there is undoubtedly extraordinary cynicism in the public domain. When I am confronted by people who say “Oh, that should have been delivered 20 years ago,” or “It was started 20 years ago,” I tell them that it was actually first mooted in 1974. There was a Forfás report in 1974 suggesting a heavy rail link from the northern commuter line. That was the first iteration. A metro or underground was suggested in 2000, or possibly during the 1990s. We are where we are, as they say. My ambition, the Minister’s and that of these Houses is to get this through planning and started as quickly as possible. In view of all the meetings the Minister has had with Dr. Sweeney and others in his Department in recent years, will he give a prediction as to when he thinks this will start and finish? If the Oireachtas committee structures are put back together in January or thereabouts, I hope we will be in a position to call in Dr. Sweeney for a conversation. He was one of a few witnesses I did not get to call in because of the relatively short period I had as Chair. Assuming all goes swimmingly with the planning application – we will take that assumption and put it in the bank – what is the Minister’s view of what will happen thereafter?