Dublin being “held hostage” by Metrolink legal fight

Dublin’s business leaders have warned that the capital’s future is being “held hostage” after a new legal challenge threatened to push MetroLink back by years.

A group of residents from Ranelagh have lodged an application for a judicial review that could stall the rail scheme for years, drawing sharp criticism from Dublin Chamber which says the city is running out of time and patience.

In the High Court on Monday (1^st) Judge Richard Humphreys set a date of March 18 next year for the hearing of the case.

The judge also said that a mediation hearing between the parties involved has been organised for December 22.

The legal challenge follows more than twenty years of studies, consultations, redesigns and a detailed oral hearing process that stretched over five weeks.

Dublin Chamber says the project has now reached a point where progress can no longer be slowed by what it describes as a small number of objectors.

“Dublin is being held hostage by an outdated planning system that allows critical national infrastructure to be endlessly stalled by a tiny minority,” said Eoghan Quigley, President of Dublin Chamber.

He said the latest judicial review was not about improving the project but about stopping it entirely.

“Dublin simply cannot tolerate this any longer.”

An artist’s impression of the planned Charlemont station (Picture credit: Metrolink.ie)

The Metrolink plan involves the construction of an 18.8 kilometre railway line, most of it underground, running from Charlemont near the city centre to Swords Estuary in the north of the county.

It has been described by both Government and transport agencies as the most significant transport investment in the history of the State.

Twenty people are named in the judicial review application, many of them residents of Dartmouth Square, close to where the Charlemont terminus is planned.

Several of those involved also made submissions to An Coimisiún Pleanála during the earlier planning process, opposing the decision to locate a major interchange at Charlemont.

They argue that construction work on that scale will cause major disruption, and they have previously raised concerns about possible damage to older houses in the area.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland says it recognises the level of disruption works in the Charlemont area will cause and says it has held numerous meetings with affected residents in recent years.

A spokesperson for the agency said the organisation regrets the delay that the judicial review will trigger after what it described as three years of detailed scrutiny and public engagement.

In a statement the agency said it remains confident in the project and stressed its national importance.

“We regret the inevitable delay that will result for a project after three years of significant scrutiny and public consultation since the Railway Order was submitted, including three rounds of extensive public consultation,” the TII statement said.

“MetroLink remains a transformational investment in Ireland’s future. As publicly highlighted throughout the railway order process, it is an imperative solution to addressing Dublin’s congestion challenges and meeting the transport needs of a rapidly growing population.

“We remain hopeful that the matter will progress efficiently through the judicial review pro-cess and that the Railway Order will be upheld to allow us to move forward with the delivery of this vital nation-building programme at the earliest appropriate opportunity.”

A decision could take several months depending on the complexity of the issues raised and the workload of the High Court.

Dublin Chamber says it is calling on the Government to take emergency action to ensure the project does not become trapped in another long cycle of legal and administrative delay.

It says there is precedent for accelerated legislation to protect vital national infrastructure and that the State must show similar resolve now.

“The State has stepped in before to unlock vital infrastructure and it must do so again,” Mr Quigley said.

“When national progress is being blocked, Government has a responsibility to act.”

He said the project is a once in a generation opportunity and that ongoing procedural challenges are unacceptable when the national interest is at stake.

The Chamber also warned that repeated obstruction is already damaging confidence in Ireland’s ability to deliver major projects.

It says uncertainty pushes investment elsewhere and weakens Dublin’s competitiveness against other cities that are expanding their transport networks at pace.

Mr Quigley said workers and businesses are being trapped in worsening congestion while costs continue to rise and climate targets drift further away.

“These reviews are not harmless paperwork,” he said.

“They are costing Dublin time, money and opportunity that it does not have. Every month of delay pushes Dublin further behind competing cities that are building, not stalling.”

The political reaction has also been firm. Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee expressed deep frustration at the latest challenge and said residents in her constituency have waited long enough for reliable public transport.

She said that the people of her constituency need reliable and adequate public transport, stressing that they have “waited too long,” and she has called on An Taoiseach and the relevant Ministers to intervene.

“It is unacceptable that a vital national project can be held up in this way,” she said.

“North County Dublin has a young population; they are the future of our economy.

“We must provide them with the transport system they need, and the Metrolink will be revolutionary in doing this.

“I am urging An Taoiseach, the Minister for Transport, and the Minister for Infrastructure to ensure that this judicial review is prioritised within the courts system and dealt with swiftly so that a decision can be arrived at without an inordinate delay”

Supporters of the project say the urgency is clear.

Last month An Coimisiún Pleanála granted the railway order for Metrolink, clearing the way for construction to begin once the legal issues are resolved.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland has already moved to the tender stage and has held events aimed at attracting bidders.

The agency says the project is preparing to become the largest infrastructure undertaking in the history of the State.

For Dublin Chamber and other advocates, the stakes are simple.

They argue that Dublin cannot keep growing without a high capacity rail spine linking the airport, the north county and the city centre.

They say congestion on the capital’s roads is reaching unsustainable levels and warn that without Metrolink the problem will continue to worsen, affecting workers, employers and the wider economy.

Those opposing the project insist they are not trying to halt national progress but want assurances that their homes and neighbourhoods will not be damaged or changed beyond recognition.

The outcome of the judicial review will decide the immediate future of Metrolink.

If the challenge is dismissed, construction could begin once contractors are appointed.

If the review succeeds, the planning process may have to return to earlier stages, potentially adding years to the timeline.

For supporters, that prospect is unthinkable after two decades of planning and public debate.

As arguments intensify, the city now waits for the High Court to determine whether the project can finally move forward or whether the long running effort to build a metro for Dublin will once again be forced into delay at a moment when the capital’s transport needs are more urgent than ever.