Local pressure mounting on MetroLink as deadline looms

PRESSURE is mounting on transport officials to ditch proposals in their preferred MetroLink route that would cause serious disruption to local sports clubs and schools.

Last week Taoiseach Leo Varadkar added his voice to growing opposition to the plans that would establish a tunnel boring construction site in Glasnevin.

The site would mean the loss of pitches for GAA club Na Fianna and Home Farm soccer club while Scoil Caitriona and Scoil Mobhí fear health and safety implications for pupils and staff.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) are now facing a rising tide of resistance to the proposal in the final days of the public consultation period, which ends on Friday (May 11).

After that they’ll have to decide either to go ahead with their preferred plans or bow to pressure and come up with an alternative proposal that doesn’t impact on the local clubs and schools.

Last week in the Dail Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he shared the concerns of locals and politicians, including Minister of Finance Paschal Donohoe whose Dublin Central constituency will be impacted by the plans.

“I think it would do enormous damage to Na Fianna and Home Farm as well and Scoil Caitriona,” he said.

“There is a planning process that involves a railway order but certainly my message to the NTA and TII would be to find an alternative option to digging up this really important club, which is just the heart and soul of that community and that part of Dublin.”

Sinn Féin President and TD for Dublin Central, Mary Lou McDonald, also voiced her opposition to the preferred MetroLink route, which she said would cause major distribution in the Glasnevin area.

“There was absolutely no consideration of the fact that the proposal is to put a massive building site alongside two schools, a scoil lán-Ghaeilge and Scoil Mobhí, a bunscoil,” she said.

“There is a naíonra as well in the vicinity.

“This is Bliain na Gaeilge and in that part of Glasnevin, almost a breac-Ghaeltacht has grown up, almost organically, between the games, the language and the schools. There is a deep resentment among parents and residents that all of this is to be disrupted.”

Deputy McDonald welcomed the Taoiseach’s comments on the proposal.

“I would encourage members of the public to have their say by making a submission as part of the current public consultation, which they can do until May 11 on the MetroLink website,” she added.

Dublin North West TD, Noel Rock, also welcomed the Taoiseach’s comments and said he believed a solution would be found.

“I am under the strong impression that the TII/NTA will be announcing a deviation to the proposed boring site in the very near future, following the conclusion of the public consultation on May 11,” he said.

“I have no doubt that the Taoiseach’s words will have further convinced them that a change must happen.”