Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, for coming to the House to deal with this matter, which relates to the proposed MetroLink service. An underground, integrated rail service for Dublin was first proposed in 2001. Twenty years later, we are still talking about putting in some sort of frequent underground service.MetroLink is progressing. I understand Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, has been progressing its plans and intend lodging a railway order application. With the MetroLink project there is potential for a high-speed and frequent underground rail service from the city centre to the airport within 20 minutes. It is a hugely important project and it is one I am supportive of.

The reason I raise this in the Seanad is because TII is progressing with its project and I acknowledge the public consultations in which it has engaged and conducted during Covid-19, albeit over Zoom. However, the project will run all the way from Charlemont-St. Stephen's Green to O'Connell Street, where potentially there will be an exit onto the national monument site at Moore Street and O'Connell Street, on to just by the Mater campus on Berkeley Road, where it will have an entrance on the park at Berkeley Road and Eccles Street. The line will continue to Cross Guns Bridge in Glasnevin where there is a proposal to have a very significant train station following the demolition of some retail units and the historic Hedigan's pub. The line will run under residential properties from there, at Dalcassian, under Botanic Road and Mobhi Road to Griffith Park, on to Albert College Park, where there is a proposal for an overground shaft, and then beyond that to Ballymun, Collins Avenue and beyond.

The project has the potential to open up lands beyond Ballymun for housing and other regeneration. The project has a lot of positives but I have a couple of concerns that I would like the Minister of State to address. First, a commitment was given to do a feasibility study on extending the proposed MetroLink from Charlemont and west-south west of the city towards Terenure and Walkinstown. It is important that feasibility study is completed before any railway order application is made.

Second, I have described the route, and it is a very long route with significant residential communities, commercial properties and community facilities along the route. When metro north was proposed, I worked with the residents from the Griffith Avenue and district residents association. The Government at that time appointed an independent expert to support residents to engage in the process. It is critically important that an independent expert is appointed as soon as possible to support residents in this project.

I draw the attention of the Minister of State to the fact that residents are already receiving letters asking them to engage in the process. It is not fair to ask residents to engage in a process where they do not have any independent expert support. It is a huge project. The estimates are it will be in the region of €3-5 billion. Residents and property owners along this line are not equipped, no matter how well intentioned they are, to engage in a project and a process this significant without the support of an independent expert and his or her advice.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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On behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan, I thank the Senator for the opportunity to address this issue in the House today.

As the House is aware, the Government is committed to a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland. Part of that change is about investing in major public transport infrastructure projects such as MetroLink in Dublin. Investing in public transport benefits citizens through making it easier to travel to where they want to go. It benefits the environment through providing low carbon alternatives to the private car. It also benefits the economy through reducing congestion and making it easier for people to access jobs. I would like to think this House recognises those benefits and will work with the Government as we look to make these hugely important improvements to our transport system. Obviously, at local and community levels, there will be varying opinions and impacts about aspects of certain projects. One way of addressing these opinions and impacts is ensuring people have an opportunity to voice them and ensuring our State agencies put in place the type of extensive and inclusive consultation processes like we have seen happen with MetroLink.

MetroLink is a massive project and probably the largest ever seen in the State. It has been through extensive non-statutory public consultation to date.These consultation processes have examined all aspects of the proposal, from the route itself to the type of service, the location of stations and how it links up with the rest of the public transport network. Projects like MetroLink benefit from that type of extensive public consultation. MetroLink certainly has. We have all seen how aspects of the project have changed as consultation periods took place during 2018 and 2019. Those consultations have informed the development of the project's preliminary business case which, in recent weeks, was submitted to the Department of Transport for review under the public spending code. As that review kicks off, work is continuing on developing all the necessary environmental assessments and planning documentation but submission of the preliminary business case is a really important milestone for the project. It means that, following this review, the project can be brought to the Government for approval to enter the statutory planning system. If approved by the Government, that statutory planning system will ensure that citizens have another chance to make their views known.

With regard to the specific location at Albert College Park, as the Senator is aware, the extensive planning, design and consultation on MetroLink has concluded that it is not an appropriate location for a station. I am informed that this decision is based on the proposed stations at Griffith Park and Collins Avenue. I am also told that, if a station was proposed for Albert College Park, considerably more land would be required than is required for the proposed ventilation shaft at the location, which would have knock-on implications for the construction schedule and the ultimate cost. However, I can confirm that Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, has committed to pay for independent expert advice and assistance for those local communities with alternative perspectives to develop their thinking ahead of the planning process. I understand this expert adviser will be available to the communities by June and I very much welcome the assistance being provided to these local communities by TII.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I appreciate his response. It is important that we note that, as the Minister of State said, this is going to be the biggest infrastructure project in the history of the State. Metro systems were built in London back in 1863, in Paris in 1900 and in New York in 1904. They are more than 100 years old. We are building infrastructure that is going to be here for decades to come. It is going to be here in 100, 150 or 200 years. I ask the Minister of State to go back to TII with regard to the issue of the Albert College Park site. I accept that he has been informed that this site was determined based on the location of the stations on either side of it but I urge him to ask TII to look at the Griffith Park site, the Collins Avenue site and the Albert College Park site. I ask him not to short-change the community in Ballymun and Glasnevin by giving them an overground shaft as opposed to a station. The people of Ballymun and the north side deserve a station as much as anybody else. I urge the Minister of State to ask TII to look at that element and to complete the feasibility study on the south-west route prior to proceeding with a railway order application.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The studies undertaken for the emerging preferred route alignment identified that locations close to Collins Avenue and at Griffith Avenue were appropriate for stations. If the provision of a station at Albert College Park was to be advanced, it would need to be in the same vicinity as the proposed intervention shaft. As noted at a recent meeting with residents' groups and local representatives, this would require a larger permanent land take than required for the intervention shaft. A larger construction area and a longer construction period would also be necessary. Overall, the cost of a station at this location would add considerably to the cost of the overall project and, accordingly, such provision is not considered to be appropriate given the other station locations and the characteristics of this location. I will take the Senator's points back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, when I see him next.

To give a little more information about the assistance that will be provided to the residents, a tender process is under way to secure those services. The final return date for the closing stage of the independent expert competition is 17 May. This will be followed by a short evaluation period and the independent expert will be appointed as early as possible in June.

Victor Boyhan (Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for facilitating the changeover of time slots at the end of the Commencement matter debates.