Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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19. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to provide an update on MetroLink and the appointment of project director for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28198/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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As the Deputy may be aware, MetroLink will be a fully segregated and mostly underground new rail line between Swords and Dublin City Centre, the first of its kind in Ireland. MetroLink will serve multiple residential communities such as Swords, Ballymun and Glasnevin, as well as the City Centre, Dublin Airport, major employment zones, education, transport, and other facilities. It is a key project under the National Development Plan 2021-30.

A significant milestone in the progression of the MetroLink project was cleared this June when the appointment of the MetroLink Project Director was announced. Given the scope and scale of MetroLink, it was recognised that there was a need to recruit an expert with the relevant experience and specialist knowledge to lead the project's delivery. This was underlined by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform's Major Projects Advisory Group's review of MetroLink’s Preliminary Business Case when it noted that, "it will be critical to secure a Project Director with international experience of managing and leading other large metro or tunnelling projects".

Following an extensive international recruitment process conducted by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), a preferred candidate was identified for the role of Project Director. Terms and conditions relating to remuneration were subject to the explicit sanction of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

The Director, Sean Sweeney, has three decades in leadership roles on major infrastructure projects in Australia, New Zealand and the US, including leading a transformative underground metro rail link in Auckland’s city centre, New Zealand’s largest-ever transport infrastructure project.

I look forward to Mr Sweeney taking up his position with TII in September.