Behind the Story: Will Dublin's Metrolink ever be built?
RTÉ's Eastern Correspondent Samantha Libreri told Behind the Story that she recently spoke to Metrolink Programme Director Sean Sweeney who said he wants to make it easier for firms to bid on the project.
The price tag and the route map have fluctuated over the years.
However, it is thought that a Railway Procurement Order - which would see it move into the construction phase - could be granted in the coming weeks.
Samantha told Fran and David in comparison to similar international transport projects, Metrolink is seen as important.
"The Ireland project is seen as a big one, it will be over the €10bn mark, but exactly what it will cost we won't know until those various people tender," she said.
"One of the difficulties that they're having getting people to tender is because of all the stopping and starting over the years, the last time this was pulled was after the financial crisis".
Companies that tender for Dublin's proposed Metrolink may be able to claim some of their money back if they are not successful in the bid under plans being considered by Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien.
"So, what [Sean Sweeney] has asked the Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien to do - and this Government are considering this at the moment - is consider a scheme where the bidders can recover some of the costs of the tendering process."
Samantha explained there can be big costs involved just to be in the running.
"It can cost millions just to tender for these projects," she said.
"It takes over a year and a half in planning, design and that kind of thing.
"So, he wants to be able to go to the different construction companies and say, 'You can bid for this but if you're unsuccessful you can claim back a portion of that' and it'll be capped at a certain amount.
"A spokesperson for Darragh O'Brien told me that he is considering such a scheme".
Samantha said the Metrolink is something that Minister O'Brien wants to drive forward.
"They really want to get this project up and running and, of course, it is in his constituency as well".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Dublin Bus chief calls for joint security body to tackle anti-social behaviour across all modes of transport
Company CEO Billy Hann made the comments in light of Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien's announcement on Wednesday that planned recruitment for a transport police force with powers to detain could begin by the end of 2026. "I would like to see a transport-wide solution to the security concerns around anti-social behavior', Mr Hann told RTÉ's Today With Claire Byrne. At present, security on Dublin Bus, Irish Rail and the capital's Luas tram are operated by separate private security firms such as One Complete Solution (OCS) and STT Risk Management. However, Mr Hann would like to see a merged state transport security force, as set out in the government's National Development Plan for 2025. "If you join up those services and have the one company providing those services, they're working off the one set of data. They can sort of move across the various different modes of transport and address the behavior. He added: 'They [troublemakers] don't just stop on the bus. They jump off the bus and they go on the Luas. They get off the Luas, they get on the Dart and so on.' Comparing the effectiveness of current security firms in combatting anti-social behaviour on the country's transport links, Mr Hann highlighted the disjointed nature of the current security infrastructure. "We can remove people from buses. The private security firms do have, under the citizen's arrest, the ability to detain, but they can't arrest.' He added: 'We're not just on one campus like the airport police. We're working across a network.' Mr Hann concedes that introducing the new transport police force is not a 'silver bullet' to fix all problems of anti-social behaviour. Dublin Bus introduced its Safer Journeys Team last October with six operatives working seven days a week to prevent and respond to incidents of anti-social behaviour across its routes in areas specified as problem hot spots.
RTÉ News
14 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Watch: Questions remain over US tariff exemptions
Questions remain over which areas are exempt from US tariffs on EU goods, RTÉ's Economics and Public Affairs Editor David Murphy has said. Speaking on RTÉ's One News programme, Mr Murphy said there is an awful lot of trade in terms of wine and spirits between the EU and the US and there was talk that those imports could be exempt from tariffs. However, any exemption for these products remains uncertain. In relation to pharmaceuticals, Mr Murphy said the US investigations into pharmaceuticals and semiconductors will need to play out before there is certainty surrounding tariffs on those products. "Thereafter, there is an expectation that there would be a tariff with a ceiling on that of 15%," he said regarding possible future tariffs on pharmaceutical imports. However, Mr Murphy stressed that the EU deal with the US was better than some others with Canada hit with 35% tariffs, India subject to a 25% rate and tariffs of 39% placed on Swiss imports to the US. Today had been set as the deadline for reaching a trade deal with the US, but following a breakthrough in talks last Sunday, an agreement was reached on a 15% levy on most EU exports to the US, expected to take effect on 7 August.
The Irish Sun
17 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
One-off €250 cash boosts CANCELLED for every Irish household in months amid new Budget 2026 focus and €1k cut fears
IRELAND will move away from one-off cash boosts as Budget 2026's "focus" narrows in on low income families. But this means a fresh round of €250 2 Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien has ruled out energy credits in Budget 2026 Credit: Damien Storan/PA Wire 2 The government said it is focusing on a more targeted budget this year Credit: Getty Images Energy Minister But the Speaking to the Independent, he said: "I will be bringing an interim report to Government in advance of the Budget and we will assess that as to what measures can be taken. "I think the vat reduction from 13.5 per cent to nine per cent is a very important one, one that I would like to see extended into next year. That decision will be taken at Budget time." READ MORE IN MONEY O'Brien said the €3.5billion spent on the €250 energy credits handed out to every single household as part of Budget 2025 cost €3.5b. And when asked about the possibility of a €500 credit for every private household across Ireland by People Before Profit leader Paul Murphy, O'Brien said the total costs would top €1.15bn. He said: "That level of one-off payments is very significant and the more you put into that, the less that you can put into medium and long-term sustainable measures to change our energy system and to ensure that we have secure and affordable energy and green and clean energy too. "There won't be any energy credits in the budget but we are looking at other measures targeted at those who need them most." MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN O'Brien's remarks came as shock new figures revealed a record 301,000 households across Ireland are in arrears on their energy bills. Give me a break' - Watch shock moment Simon Harris & Pearse Doherty clash in fiery spat over cost-of-living crisis He urged those in arrears to avail of the arrangements available for people unable to pay their providers. And revealing the focus of Budget 2026, he said: "Vulnerable families, low income families – that's the focus of what we'll do in the budget". Public Expenditure Minister over the next five years due to the need to invest €20 billion in Ireland's energy grid. The Department said our electricity grid needs serious investment to cope with the growing number of , power hungry data centres and to receive energy from new wind farms. €1K CUT FROM POCKETS And the government has this year committed to " But this means one-off measures that thousands bagged in 2024's budget have been slashed from October's plans. It is understood that boosts worth up to €1,000 per worker have been dropped from plans for Budget 2026. Government leaders have agreed on the complete elimination of one-off payments such as energy credits, double welfare and Child Benefit double boosts. The one-off cash boosts have benefited the average worker by about €1,000 each. previously told the Irish Sun: "We have said we're going to move away from one off temporary measures. WHAT WAS BUDGET 2025'S COST OF LIVING PACKAGE? LAST year's bonanza Budget package included two double Child Benefit payments handed out before Christmas, €400 extra for carers, €300 for those on Fuel Allowance. It also included an additional October cost-of-living double payment as well as the usual social welfare Christmas bonus. And a €250 energy credit was paid out over two instalments handed to every household across Ireland. The Coalition also spent more than €1.5billion slashing income taxes and the USC which boosted the average worker by around €1,000. The cost-of-living package, which was worth €2.6 billion in total, was the largest social welfare package in the history of the State. 'I think when we're making decisions we have to consider them in the context of the overall fiscal parameters that we've set out. 'And in that context, there are lots of ways we can support families in the context of fuel poverty or higher energy bills and that will be considered in the round in addition to the overall capital investment in our energy system some of which will be central to the National Development Plan process that will help mitigate some of the otherwise increasing costs as part of any increase in energy bills.' Calls have been made for a The State have also ruled out a repeat of last year's one-off €280 cash boosts handed out to those eligible for Child Benefit. Instead, Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary said that his department is "working on" a targeted form of the payment which would allow those who are most vulnerable to top-up on the existing €140-a-month cash. The €140 flat payment would still be paid to everyone, regardless of income. NO TAX SLASH FOR WORKERS Just last month, the Government committed to slashing the VAT rate for restaurants and cafes from 13.5 per cent to nine per cent – a move that will cost €1billion. This will leave just €500million for other tax cuts including the rent tax credit, the help to buy scheme and income tax changes. And that's before the impact of Donald Trump's tariffs are baked into the Budget, with the Finance Minister In last year's Budget before the general election, the Coalition spent more than €1.5billion slashing income taxes and the USC which boosted the average worker by around €1,000. With the Government committed to cutting the VAT rate for the hospitality sector at a cost of €1billion – it looks like workers will be left with little to no boost in their pay packet in the upcoming Budget despite the ongoing pressures. Donohoe previously told the Irish Sun: "It would not be right to grow the scale of our tax package with everything that we are confronting at the moment."
