An Bord Pleanála to hold oral hearing into Metrolink project

An Bord Pleanála has confirmed it is to hold an oral hearing into the estimated €9.5 billion MetroLink project for Dublin.

The appeals board has written to parties confirming the hearing, though a date has yet to be set.

The MetroLink scheme is to comprise 16 new stations running from Swords to Charlemont and is projected to carry 53 million passengers a year.

In September of last year, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) lodged its Draft Railway Order (DRWO) application with the board seeking the go-ahead for the project. It has received 318 submissions on draft order.

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Documentation lodged with the application said construction work is intended to commence in 2025, with the line opening in 2035.

The oral hearing will provide a platform for third parties to outline their concerns over aspects of the project.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) is expected to clash with TII over the impact MetroLink will have on St Stephen’s Green.

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In a submission, the OPW has expressed concern the project “would have a direct, severe, negative, profound and permanent impact” on the heritage value of St Stephen’s Green and contended that the risk of damage to the park “is unacceptable”.

At the oral hearing, Trinity College Dublin (TCD) will also make the case that the route of the MetroLink under its Dublin campus should be moved 61.5 metres westward to partly address its concerns over the project.

In a submission to An Bord Pleanála, consultant for the college, Declan Brassil, said the current planned route of MetroLink and wholly inadequate mitigations measures proposed “have significant potential to constrain or sterilise Trinity’s existing and future core academic and research activities on the eastern part of the campus”.

[ Consultants appointed to oversee long-running Dublin MetroLink project ]

The consultants also said in the event TII fails to demonstrate that effective and proven mitigation measures could be implemented, then TCD would be “left in the position where it requests that the Board refuses consent, or terminate MetroLink at a point north of Trinity’s campus”.

Already, a total of €300 million has been spent on Dublin’s various Metro projects to date, with construction work yet to take place.

In figures provided earlier this year, Ken Spratt, secretary general of the Department of Transport, said the spend on the current MetroLink project to the end of March of this year was €115.3 million.

In his letter, Mr Spratt said a cost estimate for MetroLink of €9.5 billion was considered the most likely outcome at this preliminary stage.