EU has role to play in funding Metrolink says Doherty

Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty says that Ireland could secure funding for the Metrolink project via the European Investment Bank.

Doherty, who will be on the ballot for Fine Gael in June, said “since its foundation in 1958, the EIB has provided crucial support to the transport networks around Europe allowing the EU to thrive and become more connected.”

Major infrastructure projects in Ireland, such as motorways and rail links, were built in part thanks to EIB investment.

Doherty said the Metrolink is “another vital European transport network” and that because Ireland is a net contributor to the EU budget, Ireland should get a slice of the pie.

She noted that Dublin is an important EU hub for finance, technology, skills, law, and many other areas.

The project secured €500 million in EIB funding, but due the project did not proceed due to the economic downturn.

Doherty said that now Ireland is on a firmer financial footing, Ireland should approach the EIB again to seek a new commitment to funding.

“At present, Dublin is one of the very few EU capitals without a rail link to the airport, the project has already taken too long to get to this stage, and there is a significant financial commitment involved from the taxpayer.”

“We should not allow funding to become an issue in the future,” she added.

“In 2023, the EIB signed a total of €75.14 billion of financing for European projects. Europe has an important role to play,” she said.

She said that should she be elected to the European parliament in June, she would lobby for funding at an EU level.

“Part of this involves ensuring that all sources of financing, including from the European Investment Bank, are used to support this vital project, for the benefit of Dublin, Ireland, and Europe,” she said.