Sir, – On August 12th, The Irish Times reported that the public consultation relating to MetroLink has been reopened five months after the Bord Pleanála hearing had closed (“Public consultation on Dublin’s long-awaited MetroLink reopens”).
This will continue until early October.
This comes on foot of Transport Infrastructure Ireland having released additional documentation during the previous public hearing, which necessitated the second round.
By any measure, this has delayed progress on the project by several months.
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With inflation in the construction sector running at 11.5 per cent in 2022 and 3.9 per cent in 2023, then even if the net effect of this on progression of the project is only six months, then the cost of a six-month delay (assuming for argument’s sake a 3.9 per cent rate of inflation) will be in the region of €185 million.
It’s a timely reminder of two things: (1) we need to reflect on the value of extensive public consultations in the context of key infrastructure that most of us just want delivered, and (2) the huge financial cost of even small errors in delivery.
Take this as my submission to the consultation: please hurry up and stop wasting public money. – Yours, etc,
EOIN MacLACHLAN,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.
