Protected homes in a south Dublin square 'simply won't be able to take' potential damage from the construction of a MetroLink station in the area.
Residents in Dartmouth Square are objecting to plans for a station at Charlemont.
Under the current plans the route would terminate there and interconnect with the Green Line Luas.
Chartered civil engineer and Dartmouth Square resident Leo Crehan told The Pat Kenny Show it would cause 'horrific' damage to houses in the area.
"The houses are all in reasonably good condition considering their age, they're over 130 years old," he said.
"The square has been designated as an Architectural Conservation Area by the city council in order to protect it.
"All of the houses are protected structures and being a protected structure should give some protection from random development".
Recent asking prices for houses in Dartmouth Square, which were built in the 18th and 19th century, range from €1.7 million to €2.25 million.
An artist's impression of a proposed MetroLink terminus station at Charlemont in Dublin. Image: MetroLinkMr Crehan said building the station at the west side of the square would see serious damage to property.
"Construction of the station will involve excavating two massive holes - each hole is 30 metres deep," he said.
"That's the equivalent of a 10-storey building... and it is the excavation of the holes that's going to cause the most damage.
"The damage caused by the tunnel passing under properties would be relatively insignificant, but the damage caused by water ingress into these holes and the resulting settlement would be horrific."
Settlement is downward vertical movement of ground or soil due to changes in stresses within it.
The MetroLink route from Swords to Charlemont. Image: MetroLinkMr Crehan said these settlement figures have been submitted by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to An Bord Pleanála.
"The settlement figures that TII have quoted are up to 45 millimetres settlement," he said.
"So four walls to besuffer that level of settlement because of ongoing development they simply won't be able to take it".
A structural engineer acting for the residents will on Monday give evidence to An Bord Pleanála claiming the buildings will suffer "serious damage" and become unliveable if the Metro goes ahead as planned.
'In the wrong place'
Mr Crehan said €75,000 compensation on offer would not cover such large damages.
"That compensation is designed for the minor cosmetic damage that will occur as the tunnel boring machine passes under property," he said.
"It certainly won't cover the demolition and partial rebuilding that the damage they have forecast is going to cause".
An artist's impression of a proposed MetroLink station entrance at St Stephen's Green in Dublin city. Image: MetroLinkMr Crehan said the terminus is simply in the wrong place.
"We fully support MetroLink, the city badly needs a link from the airport to the city centre," he said.
"But Dartmouth Square is not the city centre and the terminus should be in Stephen's Green, we believe, which is the city centre proper.
"It wouldn't have to take up too much of Stephen's Green, perhaps a section on the west side close to the south side.
"There's no reason why trees can't be replanted and the green restored to the way it was after the construction works were finished," he added.
Architect and environmentalist Duncan Stewart earlier told Newstalk he believes the MetroLink is not worth the €9 billion price tag.
