Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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74. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the MetroLink project; when a railway order will be made; and when it will go to Cabinet. [15630/21]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is likely aware, the Public Spending Code sets out the requirements for the evaluation, planning and management of public investment projects in Ireland and the Code applies to all public bodies and to all bodies whose projects are supported by Exchequer capital funding.

The Code sets out a number of Decision Gates in the development of a project proposal;  these are points where major decisions need to be made about the progress of a project and, for projects expected to cost over €100million, Government approval is required at these stages.  For a project in this category, "Decision Gate 1: Preliminary Business Case" is the first stage where the Public Spending Code stipulates that formal Government approval is required.

In accordance with the Public Spending Code's requirements, the National Transport Authority has recently submitted the Preliminary Business Case to my Department. The Code stipulates that it must be reviewed by both my Department and the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform. Following completion of these necessary steps I will then bring the matter to Government for its decision.

Approval under “Decision Gate 1: Preliminary Business Case” is required prior to any application to An Bord Pleanála for a Railway Order and, therefore that will be dependent upon Government’s decision in respect of the Preliminary Business Case.