It would be ludicrous to see Dublin's MetroLink delayed further due to concerns raised by several Government agencies.
That's according to transport commentator Conor Faughnan, who was speaking as submissions to An Bord Pleanála include a number of concerns about the project's design and the location of a proposed stop at Stephen's Green.
According to Freedom of Information requests from The Daily Mail the DAA and the Office of Public Works are among those raising concerns.
A planning application was submitted last September.
Mr Faughnan told The Pat Kenny Show it will be 20 years since its inception before construction even starts.
"They're arguing about details of stations, etc and it seems to be that they're letting perfect be the enemy of good," he said.
"All of these State agencies declare that they're in favour of the Metro scheme, and yet they all then have details that they want to quibble and query.
"The problem with that is it slows everything down.
"It has been State policy in Ireland to build a Dublin Metro since 2006; 20 years will have elapsed between us deciding to do it and the first shovel actually going into the ground.
"That is crazy, and it is really inhibiting us as a country - our slowness in delivering these projects".
'Paralysed and slow'
Mr Faughnan said Government agencies are getting in the way of Government objectives.
Comparing Dublin and Madrid, he said the Spanish capital decided to build a metro in 1995 and now has a "fantastic, comprehensive metro system for their city."
"We made the same decision at the same time and did nothing.
"It is just ludicrous that our system collectively is so paralysed and so slow.
"Here is just the latest example of that, with Government agencies getting in the way of Government objectives".
'The real delay is the previous delay'
Sinn Féin's Transport Spokesperson Martin Kenny said people have a right to voice their planning concerns - and insisted the ‘real delay’ to the MetroLink happened years before the current plans were submitted.
"You have to have people's right to be able to make submissions, to be able to point out things that they have concerns over [and] deal with those effectively," he said.
"But the delay here - the real delay - has been the previous delay, the delay up to now to get this far".
He said the prospect of another delay was "very disappointing."
The route for Dublin MetroLink'We need to drive this forward'
Deputy Kenny said he believes the project should be moving ahead.
"We need to employ a contractor and start the work, that's what we need to do," he said.
"I hope that these particular observations will not have a delaying effect.
"I hope they will have the effect of possibly may be some improvements to be made, or may be some observations in regards to access for people with disabilities.
"But we need to drive this forward," he added.
An artist's impression of a proposed MetroLink station entrance at St Stephen's Green in Dublin city. Picture by: MetroLinkMetroLink consists of a new fully segregated railway, most of which will be underground, between the Swords and Charlemont areas of the capital.
The route will also serve Dublin Airport - the first rail link to the country's largest airport - as well as major educational campuses.
Construction work is due to begin in 2025, with a view to it beginning operations in the early 2030s.
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