No decision taken on future of Metro North, says Cowen

NO DECISION has been made about the future of the Metro North public transport project, according to Taoiseach Brian Cowen. Labour leader Eamon Gilmore asked Mr Cowen during Dáil Question Time about the project to connect Dublin airport and the Swords area with the city centre.

Referring to the Cabinet subcommittee on infrastructure, Mr Gilmore asked: "Has the Government decided to drop or defer the Metro North project and, if so, will the Cabinet subcommittee on infrastructure deal with that Government decision?"

Mr Cowen: "No such decision has been made by Government."

Mr Gilmore: "I thank the Taoiseach for telling the House the Metro North project is going ahead as planned. That is what I understood from his answer and if he wants to correct that, I am happy to hear what he has to say."

Mr Cowen said Mr Gilmore "suggested that a decision had been made or rather he seemed to suggest that he had knowledge of a decision made to cancel Metro North and I clarified that that was not a correct perception."

The Labour leader asked if the Cabinet subcommittee would be "asked to consider any other changes to the infrastructure programme arising from the decisions made at today's Cabinet meeting".

The Taoiseach pointed out that the Cabinet subcommittee on infrastructure will continue to meet and a meeting is fixed for later this week. "It is continuing to review the annual report of the National Development Plan published recently, which confirms that a lot of the work as envisaged is taking place. A lot of major work is being conducted."

There have been reports that the Metro North project is under threat because of the economic downturn. The proposed project, an 18km track from north of Swords to St Stephen's Green, included plans to use underground, surface and elevated tracks. With 15 stops including Ballymun, Dublin City University and Drumcondra, it had a planned journey time of 20 minutes from Dublin airport to the city centre.

Consultations on a route for the project began in 2006, and the target date for completion was 2013. The Railway Procurement Agency had planned a number of open days next week in Dublin for the project in advance of submitting a railway order application to An Bord Pleanála.