Sinn Féin TD and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee John Brady, has called on the Minister for Transport to provide clarity on the overall budget for MetroLink as spending on the project approaches €600 million.
The call comes after new information provided by the National Transport Authority (NTA) outlined that, as of early August 2026, approximately €585.4 million has been spent to date on the project, with around €50 million spent in July alone.
The Wicklow TD said, “over half a billion euro has already been spent on the project, with circa €50 million spent in July alone, yet there is still no finalised budget – how does this approach make any sense?”
“Spending now and determining the budget later seems entirely the wrong way to approach a mega project of this scale,” Brady said.
The Sinn Féin TD said “a project of this size requires rigorous financial controls, strong oversight and transparency from the outset. It has to be said that the early signs here are not particularly positive.”
“We have already seen the resignation of a CEO and a number of high-profile disputes resolved at very significant expense,” he noted.
“With every day that passes, the project is absorbing more and more public money without a clear overall cost.”
Brady said that the Public Accounts Committee has invested a “great deal of time” examining the National Children’s Hospital and how financial control can break down on major capital projects.
“The hospital started with an estimated cost of €790 million. That has now increased to an approved capital budget of €1.88 billion, with the final cost expected to exceed that figure,” he noted.
“That experience should be a warning when it comes to MetroLink,” he said.
Brady said that the Public Accounts Committee has asked for quarterly reports on MetroLink expenditure, along with a “clear, transparent” estimate of the total final cost of the project.
“It is not enough to see very large levels of expenditure accumulating without a clearly established and approved overall budget against which the project can be measured,” Brady said.
“We need strict financial control over every stage of major capital projects. Contracts must be tightly managed, variations properly scrutinised, risks identified early, and there must be clear accountability for expenditure.”
Brady said, “the lesson from the National Children’s Hospital is straightforward: if we do not learn from the mistakes made on previous major capital projects, we risk repeating them again and again.”
“While there is great public appetite for MetroLink to finally be delivered, the public deserves to know exactly what this project is going to cost.”
“I am asking the Minister directly: what is the budget for this project, and when will a final figure be established?” he asked.
The Sinn Féin TD stated, “taxpayers deserve certainty, accountability and proper financial controls before costs run out of control.”