The Government has given a fresh vote of confidence to the Metrolink project.
Tuesday (22) saw the government give their strongest indication yet of where this year’s Budget money will go, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin outright stating that the Budget will be spent on long-term, infrastructure projects instead of day-to-day spending.
Previous cost-of-living measures from previous Budgets, such as rent tax credits or increases to social welfare rates, are likely to fall by the wayside in October’s Budget, with the trade-off being an increase in capital spending projects.
So – how does this relate to the Northside exactly?
While the announcement was scant on detail about what infrastructure projects the government will be spending on, one major project was confirmed to receive a bump in funding – the Metrolink.
€2 billion in funding was specifically earmarked by the government for low-carbon transportation, which includes the Metrolink.
The Metrolink was first proposed all the way back in 2001, and since then, 10 TDs have held the role of Minister for Transport, including six from Fianna Fáil.
Local Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee criticised her party’s attitude towards the Metrolink, saying “for too long, this project has been dogged by doubt and delay, often from the same voices, saying the same thing.”
She praised local Minister Darragh O’Brien for “doubling down” on Metrolink funding, saying “the message is clear: Dublin is growing, and we’re building for that future.”
The Senator said, “communities have changed dramatically over the past 30 years, but the infrastructure hasn’t kept up. We’re asking people to raise families here, commute from here, build their lives here, but we haven’t given them the tools to do that sustainably.”
“There’s always a chorus ready to kill a big idea before it starts,” she remarked.
“We cannot base national planning on unverified cost fears; final costs for Metrolink will come through the tendering process, and that’s still to come.”
“Let’s be clear: this is a transformational project, and its long-term value far outweighs the short-term noise,” she said.
“Access to education and healthcare is being hampered by poor transport. Try getting to DCU from North County Dublin; it’s a long, complicated trip that discourages students from lower-income backgrounds.”
“This is about giving people a real chance, not just a map with a route,” the Fianna Fáil Senator stated (and seemingly being unaware which party controlled, and currently controls the Department of Transport brief in 10 of the 24 years in which the Metrolink has failed to get off the ground).
Minister O’Brien said of the plan, “we’re investing like never before in our public transport network.”
He said the allocation of funding to the Metrolink project is “very significant,” and that the government was committed to improving people’s quality of life and reducing their commute times.”
“That will lead to more jobs and growth for our people,” he said.
Local Fine Gael TD Grace Boland said the funding commitment was a “welcome” one.
The Dublin Fingal West TD said, “this funding is essential to get the project off the ground and marks a significant step forward.”
“Metrolink will be transformative, it’s essential for communities across North County Dublin and, for commuters throughout the wider Dublin area who need reliable, accessible public transport.”
“We all know Metrolink will be a game-changer for Dublin, and its inclusion in the NDP provides strong confirmation of the government’s commitment to getting this project in place.”
The Fine Gael TD said it was “vital” that the process “moves without further delay” so that the project can begin in earnest.
Labour TD and transport spokesperson Ciáran Ahern said, “Metrolink is supposed to be the country’s flagship public transport project and €2 billion is no small sum, but in the context of the overall cost of the project, it’s nowhere near enough.”
“We’re talking about a fraction of what’s actually required to see this project through.”
“It’s long past time that the sod was turned on Metrolink. There’s been a lack of political will for years, and this investment doesn’t show me that anything has changed under the new Minister,” the Labour TD said.
“A serious government would have prioritised this, and provided the funding to match”
“If a project like Metrolink – which has the potential to be transformative for our capital city – isn’t being backed fully, then what chance is there for the rest of the public transport network? I have serious concerns about this government’s broader commitment to climate action and sustainable transport,” Ahern said.
“The great innovation on transport from this coalition was to pour more tarmac, and nothing in the revised NDP suggests they’ve changed tack,” he said.
Ahern stated the government “has no vision” for public transport, dubbing it “climate-regressive” and is indicative of what he calls the inherent “parish-pump instincts” of the government.
“Instead of a reliable, efficient and integrated transport system that works for people, we’re getting bypasses for the boys and laybys for the lackeys.”
The government talks about prioritising “shovel-ready” projects, by which they seem to mean roads,” he remarked.
“There are public transport projects like Dart+, which have full planning permission. They must put real, deliverable funding behind Metrolink and commit to progressing Dart+ West and South West, both of which already have planning permission. If they are serious about climate, about congestion, and about building a transport system fit for the future – it’s time to act, and time to deliver.”
Local Labour TD Duncan Smith criticised Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary for saying that Dublin doesn’t need the Metrolink.
“Dubliners are stuck in daily gridlock. As O’Leary knows well, as he bought himself a taxi license to drive in bus lanes and skip the traffic,” he asserted.
“I find it insulting to hear this kind of drive-by commentary from someone who clearly doesn’t rely on public transport to get to work. Dublin deserves better than a transport plan from a billionaire, whose only experience with buses is when he is pretending to be one,” the Swords TD quipped.
Sinn Féin TD and Dublin spokesperson Mark Ward said, “here we are, 20 years after the Metrolink was announced, and seven years after it was reannounced, and we are no closer to seeing Dublin Airport and our city connected by rail.”
“The €2 billion for five years announced for the project will hardly scratch the surface, and if the conservative final cost of €12 billion to €23 billion is to be tackled at this rate of funding, it could take 50 years before it is completed,” he noted.
Ward criticised that there was no mention of increasing Dublin Bus’ fleet, and remarked, “this plan is not serious about transport in the capital.”
“The government has said that we can wait until October for more details, well, Dubs have been waiting long enough!”
“We cannot wait any longer, and no glossy document will put minds at ease when this government has a track record of failing to deliver,” the Sinn Féin TD said.
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe was keen to stress that Ireland’s economy is due to have a surplus for both 2025 and 2026, but that surplus is now at risk.
“At a headline level, our public finances are in a strong position, with budgetary surpluses expected this year and next. However, our fiscal strength is underpinned in a large part by volatile corporation tax receipts, which represent a significant vulnerability,” Donohoe said.
“While continuing to advocate for multilateral cooperation, the summer economic statement provides resources to enhance our economic competitiveness by making large-scale investments in our public infrastructure and continuing to improve public services.”