After long and careful deliberation, the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA) estimated it would cost the taxpayer €4.8 billion to construct a 12 km metro line from the city centre to Dublin airport.
But, after examining how they build these things in Madrid, and having been promised a new legislative framework by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, the RPA has concluded the metro could be completed for €3.4 billion and in a shorter time-scale. The €1.4 billion saving is enormous, amounting to one-quarter of the annual cost of our entire education system.
Professor Manuel Maynar of the Madrid metro project advised the Cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure, led by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, on the matter during the week. And Mr Brennan will present an aide memoire to Cabinet on the necessary legislative changes, next July.
A special Dublin Metro Bill dealing with environment impact studies, compulsory purchase orders, rights of appeal, house ownership rights and 24-hour tunnelling will then be prepared. But, given the difficult and controversial issues being addressed, it is unlikely to become law until next year.
The Minister for Transport has spoken about reducing the time between the granting of Government sanction and the commencement of work on major new projects from two-and-a half years to one year. And he envisages the Dublin Metro Bill being used as a template for other major projects.
It is a worthy objective. At the moment, it takes between four and five years to plan a motorway. And a further two years is absorbed by way of public inquiries and litigation before construction can begin. A better balance must be struck between escalating public costs, the needs of society and the rights of the individual.
Value for money has become the new mantra of the Coalition Government. And Mr Brennan has been active in looking at the bottlenecks created by the planning and appeals processes; examining best practice overseas; and consulting on the necessary legislative changes.
New legislation and more efficient work practices could generate enormous savings. The original estimate for the Dublin metro allocated about one-third of the €4.8 billion cost towards construction. The remaining €3 billion was devoted to fees, finance, insurance, risk provision and VAT. And a cost escalator was set at €811 million.
The new estimate of €3.4 billion for the project is only that - an estimate. Further savings may be possible. But the immediate priority is to publish and pass the Dublin Metro Bill.