Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am a big supporter of MetroLink, the Dublin metro project, which is essential. It is not the only part of what needs to be done to improve public transport in Dublin. We need to do the DART extension electrification as well. We also need to do BusConnects, and do it right. MetroLink will be a big part of the future of public transport in the city of Dublin. Starting in Swords, it will run through the airport and on to Dublin City University, DCU, the Mater Hospital, through the city centre to Trinity College and on to the south side, via Ranelagh, all the way to Sandyford, Cherrywood and Bray, when it is completed. This is a very big project, the biggest single investment in public transport in the history of the State. It will make a major difference, not just for people who live along the route in Dublin, and will make it easier for everyone to get around Dublin, even people in other parts of the city.

The NTA has carried out a public consultation, and I met its representatives personally as part of that consultation. The point of a public consultation is to listen and I am glad to hear the NTA has listened. It listened to the concerns of Na Fianna GAA club near Glasnevin and is examining alternatives to what was proposed in that respect. It listened in particular to people living in Ranelagh who were concerned about severance and is considering bringing the tunnel further south. It is welcome that it was done in that way and that the NTA put the proposal out to public consultation, that the consultation was real and meaningful and that the NTA listened and is willing to come back with revised plans. The same will happen with BusConnects. It is a very good project that will improve bus times and bus journey times in Dublin but it included many mistakes. It is a good sign that the NTA is willing to listen, make modifications and hear what people have to say, particularly regarding the Na Fianna club and Ranelagh.

I discussed with the NTA the possibility of alternative routing options for the metro, or what used to be called metro south. What it says to me, and as somebody who spends a lot of time in Ranelagh and along the proposed line, I think it is right-----

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