IT’S time to get the plans for Metro North off the page and put spades into the ground.
That was the urgent call made by the Dublin Chamber chief executive at a seminar held in Swords last week.
The seminar, ‘Fingal on Track: Preparing for Metro North’, heard calls for the much talked about project to be fast-tracked.
Speaking at Fingal County Hall, Mary Rose Burke said starting work on Metro North would send a clear message to the world that Ireland is serious about competing on the global stage.
“We’ve been talking about Metro North for far too long,” she said.
“The plans are there, now it’s time to get them off the page and to get spades in the ground.
“Starting work on Metro North would send a signal to the people and businesses of Dublin – and also workers and companies looking to locate here in light of Brexit – that Ireland is serious about addressing the current infrastructure deficits that threaten to stifle growth.
“The lack of a rail link between the city and the airport is proving a deterrent to companies moving jobs and business to Ireland.
“The absence of such a modern amenity makes an underwhelming impression upon business travellers and potential foreign investors.”
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that Fingal was the fastest growing county in Ireland in the five years to 2016.
The population of the county grew by over 22,000 in the period – more than that seen in all five counties in Connaught.
Ms Burke said a new rail link is needed not only to serve Dublin Airport, but also to cater for the additional 40,000+ people who will be commuting into Dublin city centre from north county Dublin by 2023.
“At the same time, passenger numbers through Dublin Airport are expected to exceed 36 million by 2022, up from 28 million last year,” she added.
“A new rail link will go a long way to supporting such strong growth levels and to accommodating even bigger growth in the future.”
Fingal County Council is also advocating the sustainable development and business case for Metro North to be fast-tracked.
Mayor of Fingal Cllr Darragh Butler said he hoped the seminar achieved its aim.
“It (Metro North) is the gateway to a prosperous future for the people of Fingal, the residents of Swords and those with businesses along its economic corridor,” he said.
Fingal County Council chief executive Paul Reid said: “A decision to bring forward the implementation of this critical phase of national infrastructure will also create the certainty required to stimulate investment by public, commercial, semi-state and private sectors to ensure that complementary development occurs in the most suitable places and at the right time.”
Ed Hearne, the council’s Director of Economic, Enterprise and Tourism, spoke about how Metro North will underpin the economic growth of the county.
“A decision on the early delivery of Metro North can bring the certainty and confidence to unlock further investment and deliver a transformative economic impact for Fingal and the Dublin region,” he said.
?ª The Metro North seminar took place in Fingal County Hall, Swords.
At the seminar, the council outlined how it has used its recently approved 2017-2023 Development Plan to copper-fasten the Metro North Economic Corridor as far as Lissenhall.
There, it envisages, in addition to a major park-and-ride facility, a new mixed use urban area with significant levels of residential and employment development.
