Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is not correct. MetroLink has not been postponed for another decade. In fact, the national development plan, - it is €165 billion and 2:1 in favour of public transport - illustrates our commitment to public transport under three key priority areas. These are BusConnects in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, in addition to light rail in those cities, DART+ in Dublin and MetroLink. The focus right now is on getting all three projects to Government for approval under the public spending code and, at a project level, getting their planning application documentation ready for submission to An Bord Pleanála in early 2022.

These projects are coming before the Government very quickly so I do not know where the Deputy got the notion that MetroLink is postponed for ten years. She should not have said that. The projects will require the co-operation of everybody in this House, and on the local authorities, to ensure we get these projects through. There will be planning processes and public consultations and the Deputy will want those to be adhered to.

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