MetroLink should be prioritised for investment, the group representing US multinationals operating here has told the Government in a position at odds with businessman Dermot Desmond’s claim that it would become “a monument to history”.
Mr Desmond has argued autonomously-driven vehicles will in future lead to more efficient public transport systems, rendering the multibillion-euro project obsolete. He instead urged the Government to concentrate on harnessing artificial intelligence.
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary also called on the Government to abandon the plan, suggesting public transport networks already in place are adequate.
If approved, construction of the 18.8 km mostly-underground MetroLink should begin between 2028 and 2031, with services between Swords, Dublin Airport, Dublin city centre, and on to Charlemont in south Dublin city opening in early 2035.
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In its pre-Budget 2026 submission, the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland (AmCham) said delivery of the project should be prioritised in efforts to enhance the State’s transport infrastructure.
[ The Irish Times view on AI vehicles: no replacement for MetroLinkOpens in new window ]
“In bridging the infrastructure gap and enhancing Ireland’s competitiveness, investment in transport solutions and infrastructure is important, particularly in providing the capacity for future business and population growth,” it said.
“Transport connections are important for supporting economic expansion and they impact the ability to attract and retain talent,” it said, adding that all respondents in a recent member survey said further enhancement of Ireland’s public transport infrastructure was important to supporting their business operations here.
“Strong transport links are integral for resilient supply chains, and amid an ever-changing geopolitical landscape, Ireland must invest in transport infrastructure to remain a key destination for FDI [foreign direct investment] and business into the future,” it said.
AmCham chief executive Paul Sweetman said the State must remain competitive as it navigates the new landscape where companies exporting from the European Union to the US face 15 per cent tariffs.
“In the current challenging environment with tariffs to the fore, competition for investment and talent is continuing to increase,” he said. “When uncertainty abates, it will be the countries with the strongest contender attitude and those who have delivered on national competitiveness that will succeed.”
Nine in 10 AmCham members said their corporate headquarters had a positive view of Ireland as an investment location in that recent survey, while 68 per cent said their US headquarters already had plans to invest further in Ireland over the next five years.
Separately, AmCham’s submission identified “skill gaps and shortages”, which it suggested could be tackled through measures to address the “high personal taxation burden” in Ireland, and which “would be beneficial in ensuring Ireland can attract and retain talent into the future”.
“This will best position Ireland to leverage FDI opportunities in the years ahead,” it said. “Further, tax policies to attract key in-demand individuals to Ireland are beneficial in supporting long-term investment, driving R&D [research and development] and making Ireland a destination of choice.”
