Ellis ‘disgusted’ at Government’s mixed messages on Metro start date

Dublin North-West TD Dessie Ellis says he is “disgusted” at the mixed messages the Government were giving out regarding the construction of the Dublin Metro.

Yesterday, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said he was “hopeful” the project would be completed by 2034, instead of 2027.

This was after Government TDs denied reports that the Metro was to be delayed by seven years.

On Tuesday, September 21 Fianna Fail TD Paul McAuliffe said he received confirmation from Tánaiste Leo Varadkar that there was no plan to delay the development.

Deputy Ellis said: “I raised the reports of the delay to the project twice last week in the Dáil in Promised legislation and during Topical issues.

“I never got a clear answer from either the Táinaiste or the Minister on either occasion and yesterdays comments by the Minister for Transport only confirm what I had already suspected.

“This delay will be an social and economic disaster for businesses and communities.

“For housing projects built along the proposed route the selling point for the houses was based on their proximity to these proposed routes.

“This delay also has implications for the environment as the expectation was that Metro North would remove thousands of cars from the roads as commuters would use the public transport system as opposed to private cars to go to work or town etc.

“Communities will now wait years more for a proper transport service and the Airport will remain one of the only in Europe with out a direct rail link.

“I am disgusted that at this delay and at the mixed messages that the government were giving out over the last week.”