Green light for Metro North

Date: 28/10/2010
Posted by: Darragh

MAJOR BOOST FOR NORTH DUBLIN & NATIONAL ECONOMY

I welcome the decision of An Bord Pleanála to grant planning permission for Metro North, describing it as the most important infrastructural development in the capital.

Metro North is an extremely important project which will create at least 6,000 construction jobs and has the potential to create and sustain 37,000 jobs in business investment.

The case for the Metro North is solid. Fingal is the fastest growing county in Ireland. The approval given today reinforces the economic corridor from North County Dublin through to the city centre and this is the reason many businesses have chosen to locate in the area around Dublin Airport and in North Dublin recently. There is incredible confidence among our international partners and we must deliver on this project to ensure further investments into the future.

An Bord Pleanála has approved the Metro from the Estuary stop in Swords to St Stephen's Green. The decision includes the provision of an underground link from the city centre to Ballymun where the line will cross the M50 on a bridge.

I note conditions have been attached to the decision which include that three of the stations that were initially proposed have not received planning permission, at Belinstown (depot, stop and park and ride), Lissenhall and Seatown.

In May, the Vice President of the European Investment Bank Plutarchos Sakellaris described Metro as a ‘significant contribution to sustainable urban transport in the greater Dublin area and will be the backbone for a future integrated public transport network'. This is a major endorsement and came along with a loan commitment of €500m from the EIB for the Metro work.

The economic boost to the country from the construction of Metro North will be significant. The exchequer will also benefit from reduced construction costs.

Two PPP tenders have been short-listed, Celtic Metro Group and Metro Express. The RPA will make a final decision on these two consortia over the coming weeks. The enabling works for Metro North will begin in the Spring and I look forward to seeing that work get underway.

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METRO NORTH GIVEN GO-AHEAD IN THE 4 YEAR RECOVERY PLAN

GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT WILL HELP BOOST JOBS IN NORTH DUBLIN

The Government’s commitment in the National Recovery Plan 2011 – 2014 to build the Metro North is as a strong step that will help create jobs in the area. The plan sets out the need to advance public transport projects such as Metro North under the proposals for delivering economic infrastructure.

The Metro North project will help create 4,000 direct jobs and 2,000 indirect jobs. It will also support 37,000 jobs in the Fingal/ Louth/ Meath area once the Metro is completed.

In the National Recovery Plan the Government outlines their commitment to have the Metro North project completed. This is very important news as this is exactly the type of major infrastructure investment that will create jobs.

The Metro North project will help create 6,000 jobs, 4,000 directly and an additional 2,000 indirect positions. Additionally it will support thousands more jobs throughout North Dublin and the surrounding areas once it has been completed. It will make a major difference to transport around North Dublin and its impact in advancing our local infrastructural and economic needs can’t be underestimated.”

The exact reference in the National Recovery Plan says the “key objectives of public transport investment will be to advance public transport projects like Metro North”. This is a very reassuring passage. It not only reassures everyone who has an interest in seeing this project come to fruition, but it also emphasises how our economic recovery and the return to creating jobs will be helped by projects such as Metro North.

The Government’s plan is about putting the country back on the road to recovery, about outlining in straight forward way the steps that need to be taken and about giving people hope that the future will be brighter. Including the Metro North project will play a strong part in helping deliver these objectives for the people of North Dublin and I’m delighted that the Metro commitment has been made.