Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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83. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will consider a proposal by a group (details supplied) in the context of his evaluation of a draft strategy for the MetroLink project. [11984/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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MetroLink is likely the largest ever public investment project in the history of the State and has been subject to extensive non-statutory public consultation since 2018. The strategic rationale for a metro corridor from north to south Dublin has been well established in numerous strategic transport frameworks, including most recently the statutory Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area.

The Preferred Route for the MetroLink project is that as consulted upon in 2019 and extends from North Dublin to Charlemont as available to view on the project’s dedicated website www.metrolink.ie. The Preliminary Business Case for the project, as well as the environmental impact assessment reports and other associated planning documentation, is prepared on the basis of that Preferred Route.

Subject to Government approval in the coming months, the project will proceed to the statutory planning process with submission of a Railway Order application to An Bord Pleanála and will then be subject to further public consultation as part of that process.

It is my strong belief that we urgently need to see progress on delivery of major public transport infrastructure projects, including MetroLink. It is my view that this focus on delivery is one shared by both citizens and political representatives and, while I recognise there will always be different perspectives on the details of major projects such as MetroLink, my aim is to see this project move into construction. In that regard I think it important to note that substantial changes to the planning and design of the project as evolved since 2018 through extensive public consultation will add significant delay to the delivery of the project