Major projects will have to deliver value, says Lenihan

MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE projects such as Metro North will have to prove they can deliver value for money before they will be given Government sanction, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan has said.

Mr Lenihan was speaking at a meeting of Dublin business interests, organised by the Lord Mayor Eibhlin Byrne, where he was asked to give assurances that investment in the city would continue, despite the economic downturn.

Mr Lenihan said the planning of the metro project, the 17km rail line from the city centre to the airport and Swords, was under way, but he stopped short of confirming that the metro would go ahead.

"The Government won't sign off on something on the basis of a colourful brochure without ensuring it represents value for money," he said.

Mr Lenihan's comments reflect a new cautious attitude in Government in relation to the metro project. In recent weeks Minister for Transport,Noel Dempsey said the tender process for the Metro North project would go ahead "as will the project if it is in the budgetary limits we set".

Dublin Chamber of Commerce chief executive Gina Quin said the city would suffer significant economic damage if the metro and other transportation projects did not go ahead.

"We have been living right throughout the economic boom of the last 10 years with a major infrastructural deficit that's costing €2 billion a year in traffic congestion. If we don't proceed now there will be very serious consequences for the future."

The Lord Mayor said she was asking Mr Lenihan to prioritise Dublin in terms of securing infrastructure and foreign direct investment.

"I'm looking for the recognition of Dublin as an important economic driver, not just for the city region but for the country as a whole."

Dublin was not currently, in business terms, in a position to compete with other major European capitals such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam, she said, and it should be given the resources to compete for investment and tourism.

"To focus on Dublin is not to the detriment of the west or the south or any other region of the country. They are not in competition with Dublin." Ms Byrne said the city also needed to tackle litter and alcohol problems.