Close to 3,000 days wasted without progress on Metro North

        - Government re-announce 7 year old plan launched by Fianna Fáil -
Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has said that the people of North County Dublin have been left waiting too long for a project that has been in the pipeline year after year.


It has been reported today that once again, changes are expected to be made to the long promised, long overdue transport project; Metro North.


Commenting on today’s reports, “The transport link to the airport and on to Swords is absolutely essential particularly as traffic gridlock continues to heighten across the city and surrounding suburbs.


“The Government bought themselves five years to dawdle by suggesting that they were reviewing the project.


"Subsequently, Paschal Donohue TD announced ‘Metro-Lite’ which was essentially a scaled back, less serviceable design of the original plans adopted by Fianna Faíl many years ago.


He added, “When we made moves on developing Metro North while in Government, Fianna Fáil secured full planning permission, acquired land and obtained a Rail Procurement Order.


“On that basis, Minister Ross should not encounter any delays in getting the project up and running immediately. There is no reason that this project cannot get started right away.


"Dublin Fingal has the youngest population in Ireland. A huge cohort of the 300,000 people living in our area rely daily on public transport and have seen no improvements whatsoever in the system over the past two Fine Gael led Governments. If anything we have gone backwards.


“It has taken Government seven years to finally see sense and revert back to Fianna Fáil’s original project plan.


“It is frustrating and deeply regrettable that seven years have been wasted by inaction and a lack of political will from this Government. Once again, North Dublin has been ignored. 
“Much work will be needed to restore the public’s faith in this transport system ever being delivered. Repeated promises are no longer enough,” he concluded.