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RollingNews.ie

Calls for clarity on MetroLink after reports it will not be completed until 2034

The project was due to be completed by 2027.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS been urged to clarify plans for the MetroLink project in Dublin after reports that it may be delayed by seven years.

At the weekend the Mail on Sunday reported that the Metrolink, which is due to be completed by 2027, is now not expected to be finished until 2034.

The €3 billion metro line will run from Swords in north Dublin and terminate at Charlemont near Ranelagh.

Government sources told The Journal that no decision has been made to “push back” plans, but delays are expected due to a number of processes required for the project such as securing the railway order and compulsory purchase orders, as well as a tender process.

Fine Gael TD for Dublin Fingal Alan Farrell said these reported delays are “unacceptable and will be yet another set back for north Dublin”.

“Dublin Fingal has one of the fastest growing populations in the country and is also home to Dublin Airport, the necessity of a modern transport system cannot be understated,” he said.

“The latest reports of delays are, to put it simply, an insult to all residents who have engaged in good faith with the process and who eagerly anticipate MetroLink’s arrival.”

Farrell called on Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to provide clarity on the future of the MetroLink “as a matter of urgency”.

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for the Department of Transport said that government approval and finalisation of documents to lodge the railway application with An Bord Pleanála, which are expected to happen in the next several months, will “determine the progress of MetroLink in the coming years”.

“The construction start date for MetroLink will ultimately be determined by successful receipt of planning permission (Railway Order) from An Bord Pleanála and then securing formal Government approval to proceed to construction under Decision Gate 3 of the Public Spending Code,” the spokesperson said.

“While the exact start date will depend on the granting of planning permission and government decision under the public spending code, there has been no decision to defer the construction start date to 2027.

“It is the Minister’s intention that construction commence within the lifetime of this government, noting the requirement for planning permission and the necessary government approvals.”

Labour TD Duncan Smith, who also represents Dublin Fingal, told The Journal he had suspicions in recent months that there may be delays to the project following responses to parliamentary questions that he received from the Transport Minister.

In the most recent response, Minister Ryan said there remained “an extensive body of work” in relation to finalising the preliminary design, completing the required environmental impact assessment reports and closing out property referencing issues before the railway order application will be ready for submission to An Bord Pleanála.

The Minister said aspects of this work were impacted by Covid-19 restrictions earlier in the year and it will likely be Q1 2022 before the railway order application will be ready, with submission to An Bord Pleanála expected shortly thereafter.

He said the preliminary business case for the project has been submitted to his department for review and once it has also been reviewed by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform it will be presented to government.

Minister Ryan said approval of this preliminary business case is required prior to any application for a railway order and he expects to bring the matter to government ahead of the finalisation of the application in the first quarter of next year.

Smith said people in his constituency are angry and frustrated at news of the potential delays.

“We all know this project has been politically divisive, there are people who just haven’t believed in it and I thought we were through all of that,” he said.

He said the local council had made a number of significant plans, including for high density housing, on the basis that the MetroLink would be in place.

“We’re going to have a repeat of the problem we had in the Celtic Tiger where we built really quickly, but didn’t have the infrastructure. This is the infrastructure that should have gone with the homes already built, nevermind the new ones to come.

Smith said it is “worrying” that the minister has not sought to publicly clarify reports of delays and he plans to raise the issue with the Oireachtas Transport Committee this afternoon.

- With reporting by Christina Finn.

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    Mute Brian harris
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:25 AM

    The cherry on the cake is Saudi are on the UN council for human rights. Money talks folks.

    539
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    Mute Jim Ni Suilleabhain
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:51 AM

    @Brian harris:
    It’s a phuckin joke isn’t it.

    Israel sum to be pulling an Israel. Slaughtering and murdering thousands of people in Yemen, bullying those who object, and meddling in the affairs of other nations.

    102
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    Mute Brian harris
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    Aug 7th 2018, 5:48 PM

    @Jim Ni Suilleabhain: True Jim. Israel and Saudi seem to be close allies led by the yanks and brits who supply the weapons.

    34
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    Mute George Vladisavljevic
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:37 AM

    Well done Canada. About time that somebody tells Saudi Arabia what they think of them.

    Perhaps the next step should be is the stopping the sale of weapons to them as well.

    428
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    Mute George Vladisavljevic
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    Aug 7th 2018, 1:34 PM

    “Trudeau argues that sale of more than 900 armoured vehicles is in line with Canada’s foreign and defense policies”

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/21/justin-trudeau-defends-canada-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia

    28
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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Aug 7th 2018, 11:37 PM

    @George Vladisavljevic: And Israel is giving the Saudis plans on how to build a nuclear power plant with plans on how to build nukes, Israel probably get hit by those nukes first???

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    Mute Kevin Sweeney
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    Aug 8th 2018, 12:44 AM

    @George Vladisavljevic: Trudeau parks his principles so as not to get in the way of business and Real Politics

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    Mute Anthony Gallagher
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:27 AM

    Its time the Saudis came out from living in the Dark ages ,Human rights go beyond borders and sovereignty.Canada should be supported by all believers in democracy and civil liberties

    298
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    Mute Jay Coleman
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:18 AM

    @Anthony Gallagher: the 10,000 or so princes would prefer if they don’t. That way they can spend their billions of dollars on fast cars, prostitutes, drugs and other excesses while in Europe while telling their people what they can and cannot do back home.
    Someday their people will realize that while they’ve been prostrating themselves before Allah their leaders have been indulging all the things they claim are evil symptoms of western countries.

    248
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    Mute Franny Mac
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:03 AM

    Hopefully the Canadians don’t retaliate with similar measures lest they be accused of a Muslim ban.

    213
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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:09 AM

    How many immigrants has the US backed saudis taken in since the conflict started. none.

    184
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    Mute Ian James Burgess
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:41 AM

    Are these the same people taking over Waterford?

    95
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    Mute Donal
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:11 AM

    Time to shut down all contact with Saudis and kick them out of every civilized country. They are responsible for terrible atrocities and funding IS.

    223
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    Mute David Knight
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    Aug 7th 2018, 10:41 AM

    Saudi Arabia – “If you criticise us, there will be consequences.”
    Canada – “Ok, Eff Off.”

    Except the Canadians are way to polite to give this response..

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    Mute andrew
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    Aug 7th 2018, 2:17 PM

    @David Knight: And way too compromised by their sale of arms to Saudi

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    Mute Toby Thedogk
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    Aug 7th 2018, 12:48 PM

    Europe needs to stand firm with the canadians. I believe that leo has asked the powers in brussels to unfriend them on facebook – that will teach them not to threaten another 9 11 on our friends.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Aug 7th 2018, 1:56 PM

    @Toby Thedogk: Saudi Arabia threatened another 9/11?

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    Mute Irish Bob
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    Aug 7th 2018, 2:36 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe: Not sure what was meant there either .. But Bin Laden and his Contruction Empire family were/are Saudi’s and current Saudi Dictator, who Obama even went to congragulate on his corranation, was the chief cheque writer for ISIS.

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    Mute Toby Thedogk
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    Aug 7th 2018, 3:31 PM

    @Dave O Keeffe: yesterday they posted a picture of a plane about to hit a canadian building on an official saudi twitter account. Since deleted. Western media must have been told to not to report it.

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    Mute Brian Smith
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    Aug 7th 2018, 2:16 PM

    Why don’t the left wing groups protest as much outside Saudi or Turkish embassy’s or visits, as much as they would Trump?

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    Mute Gus Sheridan
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    Aug 7th 2018, 1:55 PM

    Why would ANYONE in their right mind ever want to even consider this medieval country,

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    Mute Denis McClean
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    Aug 7th 2018, 12:21 PM

    Saudi diplomacy – No-one talks about anything.- except US.

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    Mute Hardly Normal
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    Aug 7th 2018, 9:01 AM

    Fu.ck Saudi Arabia I say, much prefer Russian petrol anyway.

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    Mute Irish Bob
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    Aug 7th 2018, 2:33 PM

    Saudis are not evil .. America says so .

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Aug 7th 2018, 11:34 PM

    @Irish Bob: Wahhabism was invented there instead of soccer, says everything about kicking a wife about instead of a ball as a past time?

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    Mute TamuMassif2019
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    Aug 7th 2018, 11:35 PM

    @Irish Bob: The US is acting now more like Babylon than the Babylonians were lol.

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    Mute Clear And Graphic
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    Aug 7th 2018, 7:02 PM

    “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” So a said Edmund Burke.

    At least Canada spoke up. The rotten Irish elected in our Dail, are either too cowardly to speak up or too busy with their political games, to do the right thing. Meanwhile women’s rights suffer still.

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    Mute Skybloo
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    Aug 7th 2018, 3:52 PM

    World has gone into crazy chaos …. all these toys being thrown out of all these prams.

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