The further delays to the Dublin Metrolink project are an “absolute sucker punch,” according to Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly.
It comes after the Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he hoped the project will be up and running by 2034 – seven years behind schedule.
In a statement this afternoon, the Dublin Commuter Coalition said it was ‘bitterly disappointed’ at the news and called on Minister Ryan to set out what is causing the delays and what he is doing to reduce them.
Coalition Chair Kevin Carter said Minister Ryan must now offer a “firm estimate” for when the project will be complete.
“In the case of MetroLink, four years into a ten-year project, we were hoping for something more concrete than the Minister saying he’s hopeful about it opening under seven years late,” he said.
“The people of North Dublin have been told about these plans for the past 50 years with one proposal for a metro already designed and cancelled in recent years. They deserve a lot more from the government than the confusion and rumours that have surrounded these projects for the past 10 days.”
The project links Swords and Dublin Airport to Dublin City Centre, with part of the line running underground.
On The Hard Shoulder Sinn Féin TD for Fingal Louise O’Reilly said Minister Ryan’s attitude is 'massively disrespectful' to the people of Swords.
“If Eamon Ryan is able to come out today an say, it’ll be 2034, shrug his shoulders when he is questioned on it and simply say, ah sure look nobody thought it was going to be delivered, I mean that is really, massively disrespectful to people who are living in Swords who have been waiting on this project now for decades,” she said.
“I mean it really is an absolute sucker-punch for them.”
Meanwhile, these tourists at the airport told Newstalk how they found getting into the city without a metro.
“I don’t find the bus too bad but I do understand what you’re saying because in England we do have the tube and that and it is a lot quicker to get in and out but yeah the bus wasn’t too bad,” said one.
“I did make a comment saying has Dublin got a Metro service,” said another. “It wasn’t too bad in terms of getting here pretty quickly but yeah it would be useful.”
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