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The Journal
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
Metrolink gets €2 billion funding boost - but no one knows what the final cost will be yet
THE METROLINK PROJECT is set to get a €2 billion boost in funding under the National Development Plan (NDP) – but the full cost of the long-planned underground rail line is not yet known. The plan, which was announced by the Government this afternoon , sets out what large-scale infrastructure projects Ireland needs over the next five to ten years. It details plans to invest €24.33 billion in transport between next year and 2030. Of this, €2 billion will come from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund (ICNF). The government said this funding is being allocated to support the development of 'low-carbon transportation' projects such as the MetroLink 'before 2030″. According to the plan, the government has decided to fund the proposed Dublin rail link using the ICNF due to the 'unique scale' of Metrolink, which it said will allow 'the ambitious pipeline of other public transport projects'. The Metrolink, which is the single biggest public transport project in the history of the State, will have 16 stations running from Swords to Charlemont and is estimated to carry 53 million passengers annually. The 18.8km route will have an end-to-end journey time of 25 minutes and serve residential areas including Ballymun and Glasnevin, as well as the City Centre and Dublin Airport, and will link to Irish Rail, Luas and bus services. Speaking this afternoon, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that today's funding announcement was 'a very definitive commitment to the metro'. He said that while the actual cost of the project will be 'very, very substantial', the coalition is very clear that is has to be built 'for the future of the country'. 'If you look at the expansion of Dublin, if you look at it over 20 to 30 year period, there will be continued growth in population in Dublin. I don't think you could sustain Dublin without a metro,' he said. The Metrolink will have 16 stations running from Swords to Charlemont. Metrolink Metrolink In a later press conference, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe indicated that the most recent costing for delivering the Metrolink is around €11 billion. He said the reason why an exact estimate for the cost of the project cannot be given is that there is now a procurement process due to commence. 'I'm not going to indicate what we believe the final cost will be until the procurement process is complete,' he said, stating that to do so beforehand could influence the value for money aspect of 'what it is a very, very big project'. The point was made to the minister that the public might find it hard to believe that the Metrolink will be delivered when there have been so many promises made about it over the last decade. Advertisement Donohoe accepted the point, but added that much of those decisions were influenced by the aftermath of global financial crisis, when capital investments was at a very low level. 'We tried to rebuild it, but it did take time, and we weren't able to give confidence regarding the money that would be available for projects like the Metrolink,' he said. 'There's only a very small number of projects that the government has given a particular commitment to and they are mega projects. They're in water and they're in transport. The main project that we are giving a commitment to up front is the mega project of the Metrolink. Planning An underground rail line for Dublin was first proposed in a government plan in 2005, but was shelved for several years during the recession. Cabinet approved a refreshed plan for the Metrolink in July 2022, with a planning application submitted to An Bord Pleanála that September. The current route of the Dublin Metrolink. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) lodged a Draft Railway Order seeking permission for the project in 2023 and received 318 submissions in response. An Bord Pleanála – now called An Coimisiún Pleanála – held oral hearings to facilitate third parties expressing their concerns around the project early last year. During these hearings, further documentation was submitted, which resulted in a second public consultation process being held from August to October last year. A decision on whether to grant planning permission is now awaited from An Coimisiún Pleanála, with the Irish Times reporting on Saturday that the decision is due before the end of the summer. It's now expected that construction may not begin until at least 2028 . In 2021, the Metrolink was estimated to cost between €7 billion and €12 billion. Sean Sweeney, the director of Metrolink, told an Oireachtas committee in May that that estimate 'is going to change'. Speaking to RTÉ News this week, Sweeney said that the full cost of the project will not be clear until 2027 until tenders for the project are received. Asked today why people should believe the government when some €300 million has already been spent on the project and building has yet to commence, the Taoiseach said this money was spent on 'preparation' for the project. Artist interpretation of the underground station at Tara Street on the Northside of the city. 'You just don't go to a planning commission without substantial investment, ' Micheál Martin said. He said these are 'enormous projects' which demand a lot of allocation in terms of the work that goes into planning, designing the route and preparing a planning application, adding: 'So actually, I would take the €300 million as evidence of our commitment to building the Metro.' Related Reads Construction of MetroLink project may not begin until 2028, transport committee to hear Ireland is wasting a golden Green Line opportunity to appease misguided south Dublin fears 'I had death threats': MetroLink boss foresees pushback but also huge benefits in store Martin was also asked if the projects planned for in the NDP would go ahead if there is an economic slowdown, particularly as a result of US President Donald Trump's 30% tariff threat. The Taoiseach said that the international investment community is needed for projects at the scale of the Metrolink. 'They need to realise that we're going the full distance on the capital, and we will take measures if we have to, obviously, to meet the impacts of tariffs. But we are very clearly signaling that, unlike previous times, we want to protect the capital side of the equation.' Asked again if the spending would take a hit, he added: 'Current spending will be under pressure if such a situation was to emerge.' Reaction Fianna Fáil Senator for Dublin Fingal West Lorraine Clifford Lee said today's funding commitment of €2 billion is 'a statement of intent' from the government for a project that she said is 'essential' to meet the needs of a growing population. She said there has been an explosion in population in north County Dublin, in areas such as Balbriggan, Rush, Lusk and Swords, which infrastructure has not kept up with. 'There's always a chorus ready to kill a big idea before it starts, but we cannot base national planning on unverified cost fears,' she said. 'Final costs for Metrolink will come through the tendering process, and that's still to come. Let's be clear: this is a transformational project, and its long-term value far outweighs the short-term noise.' €2bn for Metrolink is hardly a vote of confidence that the project will be substantively progressed in this decade. It's supposed to take 6 years & be operational in early 2030's. €2bn is only 8%- 16% of the estimated total cost. #Metrolink — Marie Sherlock TD (@marie_sherlock) July 22, 2025 Fine Gael TD for Dublin North West Grace Boland also welcomed the ringfenced funding for the Metrolink, which she said is 'essential to get the project off the ground and marks a significant step forward'. However, Labour's transport spokesperson Ciarán Ahern said the €2 billion 'does not represent the scale or urgency required to deliver the long-awaited rail project for Dublin'. 'Metrolink is supposed to be the country's flagship public transport project and €2 billion is no small sum, but in the context of the overall cost of the project, it's nowhere near enough. We're talking about a fraction of what's actually required to see this project through,' he said. Ahern added that it is 'long past time that the sod was turned on Metrolink' and called on the government to commit the full funding required for the project. Sinn Féin's transport spokesperson Louise O'Hara meanwhile said the fact that the plan made funding commitments to the Metrolink but failed to mention any specific projects in the western and northern region is 'deeply disappointing'. With reporting from Christina Finn Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
13 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
5 takeaways from the revised National Development Plan
Telephone-sized numbers allied to giant levels of aspiration, the Government has gone all in on infrastructure spending in this plan. But with the billions flying around and the totals growing ever larger in recent days, is this just "hype" as Labour's Marie Sherlock labelled it? The Government's plan will ultimately be judged on delivery and that will take years. For now, here are five things we have learned from the big announcement. Housing There's no mistaking that the core of this plan is all about delivering homes at scale, with €40 billion earmarked for housing and related water services. This is made up of €28 billion for housing itself along with further funding to remove blockages like insufficient electricity connections or a lack of water and waste water services. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said today that housing is the biggest social challenge. But the opposition has reacted sceptically with Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty saying there are no extra social and affordable homes planned. While Labour has noted that the funding allocated to housing tapers down towards the end of the plan. Big Picture This NDP differs from previous versions as it only sketches out in broad terms the capital funding allocations for Departments as well as extra money for utilities. That means there is no long list of local projects attached to the announcement so no specific roads, local hospitals or schools. The Government says Departments will now take their allocations and work on specific details. Expect another announcement ahead of the Budget with Ministers and TDs heralding local projects. The only big infrastructure project cited is Dublin's Metrolink which will get €2 billion. Metrolink Long promised and never delivered, a Metrolink for Dublin has been announced several times over. But the Government now says it wants the train to leave the station with €2 billion of what is being termed ringfenced strategic funding. What's clear from comments today is that this is intended to send a signal to potential construction companies that the Irish Government is serious about the project. It is designed as an assurance that the Metrolink will be paid for and delivered. The aim is to entice bidders during the procurement phase expected to follow a positive planning decision. Plan B During the crash, capital spending was completely slashed and the repercussions of that decision are still being felt today. Housebuilding stopped, infrastructure projects were dropped and utilities were left underfunded. This time is different according to the Government. If there is a downturn, capital spending will be prioritised at the expense of day-to-day spending. And that spells political danger as it could mean real cutbacks to services already dealing with the usual inflationary and demographic pressures. Inflation Inflation remains a feature of the economy even if the rate of increase has slowed. But will the rise of €34 billion deemed "new spending" in this plan over the previous one actually just cover price increases for existing projects rather than delivering new ones? The Government has denied this is the case. But few would doubt that inflation will eat into the value of the extra money.
Irish Times
16 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Metrolink to Dublin Airport not needed, says Michael O'Leary
Nobody will use the planned Metrolink from Dublin city centre to the airport while it will cost taxpayers multiples of any budget allocated to the project, Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has said. The Government's revised National Development Plan earmarks €2 billion to 'kick-start' the metrolink underground line from Charlemont, near Stephen's Green in central Dublin to the airport, which could cost up to €23 billion. Mr O'Leary, whose company is the biggest airline flying out of Dublin, predicted that no one will be able to use the rail line when it opens. He argued that no one could go to Stephen's Green at 4am, 'where there is nowhere to park' to catch trains to the airport. READ MORE [ Opens in new window ] Millions of passengers now travel to the airport on buses connecting it with central Dublin, Belfast, Cork and other locations, the airline chief said. 'The buses work, people already use the buses, you do not need to repeat what's already there,' he added. Mr O'Leary noted that the proposed line had no connections to the city's other public transport including buses and Luas trams. He dismissed the argument that Dublin is one of Europe's few capital cities with no rail line to its airport, saying few cities had airports within 9km. 'It will not be delivered on time and it will be 20 times over budget,' Mr O'Leary warned. Officials told Darragh O'Brien, Minister for Transport, in March that Metrolink's cost could hit €23 billion. Recent estimates put it between €9 billion and €12 billion. Mr O'Leary argued that outdated planning rules barred airlines from using Dublin Airport's north runway, 'one of the few pieces of infrastructure we have actually built', which opened in 2022. The Government had yet to keep a pledge made when it took office seven months ago to axe a 32 million a-year limit on passengers at Dublin Airport, Mr O'Leary said. He asked if a Government that failed to keep this promise while being responsible for the €330,000 Leinster House bicycle shed, €1.4 million Department of Finance security hut and the €2.24 billion Children's Hospital, could be trusted to deliver a €275 billion development plan. The Ryanair boss argued that the plan should include a nuclear power plant to help secure energy independence. The Republic will begin importing nuclear-generated electricity from France, once the countries complete a power line linking Cork and Brittany. Ireland already imports electricity from Britain, which has five nuclear reactors and whose government has agreed a £38 billion deal for nine new plants. Work on a further nuclear project, Hinkley Point, is already under way. The State's relies on imported electricity to cater for growing demand. 'We are at the end of the line and will be the first to be switched off if there is a crisis,' Mr O'Leary warned.
Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Funding of €2bn for Metrolink in NDP will provide 'certainty' on delivering rail line, minister says
Providing €2bn in funding to the Metrolink project will provide 'certainty' on delivering the multi-billion euro underground rail line, public expenditure minister Jack Chambers has said. The Metro, due to connect Dublin city centre to Dublin Airport, has received standalone funding within the Government's revised National Development Plan. Other projects have not been provided with funding yet, with Government ministers expected to set out their priorities in advance of October's budget. 'By providing separate capital allocation and trajectory for Metro and the strategic water projects, that gives funding certainty and gives investors certainty around working with the Irish Government and the Irish people on delivering Metro,' Mr Chambers said. 'This is a project which we expect to draw down, in the best-case scenario, if the planning comes through, in the latter end of this decade. 'Then there'll be further commitments out into the 2030s as it's delivered. I think it's looking at that longer horizon and its funding profile, and that's why we have it separated out from the specific transport vote.' Finance minister Paschal Donohoe declined to give a specific cost estimate for the project, saying the Government would not say before procurement was completed. Mr Donohoe said if he did, it would 'influence the value' the Government would be able to get for the project. 'It's the biggest single public transport project we'll ever do and probably the biggest capital project of any kind that we'll be completing across the 2020s and the 2030s,' Mr Donohoe said. Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin described the previous Government's policy of a two-to-one ratio of spending on public transport compared to roads as being 'unworkable'. 'In terms of the so-called 2:1 ratio, I've never been of the view that it is realistic because of the timelines of projects,' Mr Martin said. He highlighted the Metro as an example. 'When the big, heavy money gets to be spent on the Metro, you'll be looking at 3:1 public transport versus roads,' Mr Martin said. Read More
Irish Examiner
17 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
ieExplains: What are the Summer Economic Statement and the National Development Plan?
The Government has unveiled two of its key signposts on the long road to Budget 2026: The Summer Economic Statement (SES) and the updated National Development Plan (NDP). The SES essentially sets out the broad parameters of the upcoming budget, while the NDP outlines what the Government is planning to spend on major infrastructure projects over the next five years. Budget 2026 itself will be unveiled on October 7 with an overall package worth €9.4bn. What exactly is the Summer Economic Statement? The SES is an early look at the total amount of money the Government is planning on adding to its spending plans for the year ahead. Finance minister Paschal Donohoe and public expenditure minister Jack Chambers confirmed the total size of Budget 2026 would be €9.4bn. Minister for public expenditure Jack Chambers (left) and minister for finance Paschal Donohoe confirmed the total size of Budget 2026 would be €9.4bn. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Of this, €1.5bn is to be spent on tax measures. The remaining €7.9bn will go on new measures, which will include current and capital spending. This breaks down to €2bn towards capital spending, while the remaining €5.9bn will be provided for current spending. Does it set out what the money will be spent on? No, it doesn't. This will be done in the October budget, when Mr Donohoe and Mr Chambers stand up in the Dáil and formally announce exactly what programmes will be funded and what taxes will be cut. Over the summer months, Government ministers will begin setting out their stall for what goodies they want to prioritise in the Budget. Direct negotiations between Cabinet ministers and Mr Chambers will begin in earnest in September. Any concerns this could change? Yes. The Government is warning it may need to reduce the size of the overall budgetary package if there is 'deterioration in the tariff landscape'. This means, if US tariffs on EU goods are higher than expected, the Government may opt for a smaller tax and spending package. What about the National Development Plan? This is setting out the total amount of money the Government intends to spend on capital projects and infrastructure over the next five years. In total, a package worth €102bn has been agreed, with significant amounts provided to housing, water, energy and transport. Does it include details of any specific projects? Very scant details, with the only major project getting a specific mention being Metrolink. The Government confirmed it would be providing €2bn worth of funding from the Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund to progress low-carbon public transport projects – particularly focusing on Metrolink. It is instead setting out where the funds will go over the next five years, with well over half provided to housing and transport. While only Metrolink is directly mentioned, there are breakdowns in some aspects of the funding allocation. In the Department of Housing, €7.6bn is to be allocated between 2026 and 2030 for water infrastructure, while the remaining €28.2bn will go towards housing. Taoiseach Micheál Martin signalled individual projects will be identified by ministers and revealed closer to budget day in October. Read More Government to invest €102bn in infrastructure by 2030 under revised National Development Plan
