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RTÉ News
a day ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Cost of Dublin metro not be clear until 'some time in 2027'
The cost of a planned metro for Dublin will be higher than estimated, but the exact price tag will not be clear for another two years. The director of the project to build a rail link between Swords and the city centre also said that that if planning is granted by the end of the summer, construction could begin in 2027. However, he said he will need to convince international construction firms that Ireland is serious about the project. Sean Sweeney, who was appointed Project Director of MetroLink last year, said he is still aiming to deliver a metro to the capital by 2035, but that date could be delayed as there is a likelihood of judicial reviews. He also said that that while he does not know what the National Development Plan (NDP) will outline for the project, there have been positive signals and he believes he has the political support from Government. It is more than 1,000 days since An Comisiún Pleanála began considering whether to give the green light to the latest plans for a metro in Dublin, after Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TFI) applied for the Railway Order in November 2022. The project was first mooted in the year 2000, but it was shelved during the financial crisis. An oral hearing of the proposals and public submissions was held last February and lasted a number of weeks. Decision expected by end of summer The Planning Authority is expected to issue its decision by the end of the summer and MetroLink has planned a number of events to try and attract international construction firms to bid for the project. If the decision arrives when expected, a tender process could get underway in the first quarter of 2026. Dr Sweeney has refused to speculate on what the cost of the project will be, but said that construction inflation means it will be higher than the figure of €9.5 billion which was projected in 2021. He said his team are taking the price tag "very, very seriously" and will deliver an estimated cost to Government by the end of the year, but until the tenders are received in 2027, the real price tag for the project will not be known. "I'm not very keen to speculate until we've done the work because there's a lot of work to be done," he said. "We're hoping within the next two to three months to have a new number to advise Government. "But you don't have to be a rocket scientist to realise it's five years since the last number, there's been a lot of inflation and movement since then, so that the number is going to go up. "We are hoping to start the major procurement at the end of the first quarter next year. "Those procurements can take a year and a half, so some time in 2027 we're hoping to have firm prices back from the bidders for the major pieces of work. "That's really the first time we have clarity about cost. Because until now, they're just estimates being done by consultants giving us advice. They're not the builder. "The build process will run for at least five years," he added. "There are a range of events that could result in the builder claiming for extra money, and that will inevitably flow through. "We can't see over the horizon as to what some of those things things might be. "So all we would say is, once we get the prices from the tenders, that's the first time we've got real clarity about where we might like to go. "We are hoping that there's not much movement after that, but that's just conjecture." Concern construction firms will bid for a cancelled project Dr Sweeney said construction could begin in 2027. He said his main concern is that international construction firms will bid for the project which has been cancelled. Dr Sweeney added that he will need to convince them that Ireland is serious about building a metro. "Our biggest risk at the moment is that the international construction market doesn't turn up," he said. "This project has been cancelled before. "I travel around Europe a lot, I talk to a lot of people and the standard response is, 'We love Ireland, we love the Irish, but we really don't know what you're doing, and we don't know whether you're serious'." Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan previously voiced his objection to the plan for a terminus for the MetroLink at Charlemont in his constituency of Ranelagh in South Dublin but Dr Sweeney said he believes that the project has the political support needed from Government. He said the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Transport are due to take part in the international events to promote the project in the autumn that will take place in London, Paris, Vienna, Milan and Istanbul. Dr Sweeney said their presence along with MetroLink's inclusion in the National Development Plan will help him persuade construction firms to take on the project, despite the competitive international market for such work. "There's not that many builders who can build metros," he said. "There's very few major constructors that can build at that level, and they're all really busy. "There are metros being built all around the world. "There's La grande Paris, which is €50 billion, there's numerous projects in Asia, so the major constructors can choose their projects now. "All I would say is, once we get opened, everyone will love it, and they will know that the pain was worthwhile." "MetroLink is one of the big ones on the globe at the moment, but no one should think it's the biggest, there are bigger projects. "So we're sort of trying to position ourselves as a big, but very attractive project for these builders to look at." The Minister for Transport said he is considering a scheme to give partial refunds to unsuccessful bidders in an effort to get this long awaited project finally on track. Darragh O'Brien said: "A design and tender fee scheme would see a certain capped percentage of bid costs reimbursed to unsuccessful compliant bids. "It is important to note that as part of any agreed design and tender fee scheme the taxpayer will benefit not just through increasing the competitiveness of the overall process but also through ownership of the intellectual property of any work undertaken during the tendering process relating to MetroLink, which will then be of value when finalising the ultimate contracts and undertaking the actual works." Disruption during construction will be significant Dr Sweeney, who delivered a rail project in his native New Zealand before coming here said that that disruption during the construction of the Metro will be significant but that the impact will be forgotten about as soon as the service is up and running. "We're going to be building stations through the middle of Dublin and for health and safety reasons they're going to have to be secured," he said. "There'll be hoarding that are placed at the edges of the boundaries of the sites that will constrict footpaths. "It'll constrict roads and people who have properties on those footpaths and roads will notice a difference. "If you're a shopkeeper there, you'll notice less foot traffic. You'll notice noise and disruption. "There's no way around that. We'll be doing the best we can, but you can't build a metro like this without there being some disruption." "Dublin is growing and this is about supporting its growth." Dr Sweeney added: "All I would say is, once we get opened, everyone will love it, and they will know that the pain was worthwhile." "I've been through this in Auckland. It is a challenge. "A lot of trucks in the streets, lot of equipment, material being taken to and from the sites. If you're driving around those areas, you will be disrupted as well, and we can't avoid that." He also rejected suggestions that Dublin does not need a metro because it is currently possible to travel from the city centre to the airport by bus or car in less than half an hour. "Dublin's total transport system is under huge pressure," he said. "The Port Tunnel, buses, the Luas, the Dart, they're all at or near capacity at various times of the day. "This is actually about just providing more capacity into a growing city, it's not replacing any of them. "Nothing will get you from the airport to the Central Buisness District quicker than a metro and we'll do 20,000 people an hour. "Nothing can do that. Dublin is growing and this is about supporting its growth." However, economist Colm McCarthy said a full cost benefit analysis of the project needs to be carried out before the Government commits to funding MetroLink. "To date there hasn't been a proper, full cost benefit study on the Metro, believe it or not," he said. "All there is, is a study that was commissioned by the project promotors, not a proper study done by the Department of Public Expenditure. "So I think it's premature to be committing that amount of money. It will leave less room for all sorts of other projects which may well have higher benefits." "The public spending code said that after the project promoters have outlined what they want to do, which they've done, then there should be an independent study done at central Government level. "Remarkably this has not been done with one of the biggest projects ever proposed in this country. "The Government seems to have backed away from the public spending code. "They're all delivery, delivery, delivery, just get a shovel in the ground. And this is far too big for that." MetroLink plans to run along an 18.8km route, mostly underground from Swords north of Dublin Airport to Ranelagh in south Dublin serving 16 stops in a number of suburbs including Ballymun and Glasnevin. Driverless trains will run every 90 seconds, which can carry 20,000 passengers in each direction every hour or 53 million passenger journeys a year.
Irish Independent
07-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
The Indo Daily: The €550,000 man - but is Sean Sweeney our MetroLink messiah or future fall guy?
Remember the name – Sean Sweeney, a man of meditation, motorbikes and bold metropolitan vision. With his signature secured last summer, he's our latest 'Metrolink Maverick' tasked with revolutionising Dublin city's transport infrastructure, and he's being paid over half a million euro to do it. All he has to do is get the MetroLink plan up, running and over the line. Should be no big deal, right? After all, it's not like it has been awkwardly languishing for 24 years. Still, Mr Sweeney has time on his side, with recent proclamations that the project is unlikely to be completed by 2035 still ringing in people's ears like a loud train whizzing by. Sweeney is now looking for bidders to help fund the operation, at a mere €30m a pop. Today on The Indo Daily, Dave Hanratty is joined by Sunday Independent journalist Niamh Horan, and by Irish Independent Political Correspondent Gabija Gataveckaite, to profile an especially colourful CEO, and to ask the question – is the Dublin MetroLink the biggest mess in government history?
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dallas Mavericks in Turmoil After Recent Coaching Announcement
Dallas Mavericks in Turmoil After Recent Coaching Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Mavericks landed Cooper Flagg, a possible franchise savior, with the first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. Advertisement The selection should undo the on-court chaos and disappointment caused by trading away Luka Doncic in the dead of night last season, although it doesn't fix the mistrust sown by Nico Harrison, which has affected the fanbase, the Mavericks' reputation, and their ability to hold onto quality talent. Perhaps as a result of the Doncic trade, three assistant coaches are leaving Jason Kidd's staff for similar roles elsewhere. Drafting Flagg, it seems, was not enough to keep them in town. "Sean Sweeney's left to go be with the San Antonio Spurs," said ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "God Shammgod, likely he's on his way off Jason Kidd's staff." Sweeney, a longtime assistant who has worked with Kidd in Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Dallas, is heading to San Antonio to join first-year head coach Mitch Johnson's staff. That's a brutal blow for the Mavericks, and it's only the start. Advertisement "That's a situation where the Mavericks didn't put up, frankly, enough of a fight to try to keep a guy who's been Jason Kidd's right-hand man at every single stop of J Kidd's head coaching career," added Tim MacMahon regarding Sean Sweeney. Shammgod is the lead player development coach in Dallas and has been with the team since 2019. With the lead developmental coach and defensive mastermind on the way out, another bench leader is also heading out. "His secondary assistant, Jared Dudley, is reportedly leaving to join the Cavs," added Brian Windhorst. Notably, none of these assistants are accepting a head coaching position, and ar uprooting their lives simply to leave Dallas. The Mavericks are going to keep Jason Kidd as their head coach despite interest from the New York Knicks, although he is losing three key members of his staff. Advertisement Even with Flagg coming to town, the stink and aftermath from the Doncic trade are enough to keep high-level coaches away from the organization, which is a massive problem the team will need to fix. Related: Dallas Mavericks' Biggest Obstacle to Win NBA Finals Revealed Related: Cooper Flagg Sparks Hope But Not 'Fire Nico' Forgiveness for Mavericks Fans This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
St. Paul's Sean Sweeney reportedly takes top assistant job with Spurs
Sean Sweeney is changing locations, but not leaving Texas. The St. Paul product is leaving Dallas, where he spent the last four years serving as the Mavericks' top assistant, for San Antonio, per an ESPN report. Advertisement Sweeney, a Cretin-Derham hall and University of St. Thomas product, will become the Spurs' associate head coach under San Antonio head man Mitch Johnson. NBA insider Marc Stein reported Sweeney's contract was set to expire at the end of the month and that the Spurs were in 'hot pursuit' of the coach. Sweeney, who's been a legitimate head coaching candidate who made a deep run in Phoenix's head coaching search this offseason after helping guide Dallas to the 2022 West Finals and 2024 NBA Finals, now takes an elevated role on San Antonio's staff, where he'll work with the likes of Victor Wembanyama and the presumptive No. 2 pick in next week's draft, incoming rookie guard Dylan Harper.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
RUMOR: Multiple teams trying to raid Jason Kidd's Mavericks coaching staff
The post RUMOR: Multiple teams trying to raid Jason Kidd's Mavericks coaching staff appeared first on ClutchPoints. Despite being on the New York Knicks' radar, head coach Jason Kidd knows he will remain with the Dallas Mavericks for the 2025-26 NBA campaign. He cannot say the same about his staff, however. Multiple teams are taking a hard look at the Mavs' bench this offseason, threatening to bring about more change in a franchise that is still adjusting after trading Luka Doncic. Advertisement Kidd surely wants to maintain some continuity, but he could see as many as three assistants walk out the door for another job in the near future, per NBA correspondent Marc Stein. Memphis Grizzlies HC Tuomas Iisalo is considering Jared Dudley to be his top guy on a squad that has already significantly altered its identity following Sunday's Desmond Bane blockbuster. Reigning Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson also has the 14-year NBA player in mind for the same role on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sean Sweeney, who is currently Kidd's No. 1, is in the running to join Mitch Johnson's staff with the San Antonio Spurs. He first worked under Kidd on the Brooklyn Nets more than a decade ago, so navigating his possible departure could be challenging. Additionally, Stein reports that the Orlando Magic are pursuing Mavericks player development coach God Shammgod, who spent a few years working with head coach Jamahl Mosley while the two were both assistants in Dallas. If fans turn off their natural biases, they could see why each assistant would consider making a move. Will the Mavericks have to pivot? Dudley can climb the coaching ranks by joining either Iisalo or Atkinson. Aiding the Grizzlies in a successful transitional phase or helping the Cavs finally break through in the playoffs would each look mighty impressive on a future job application. Sweeney can take one step closer to a HC position himself if he enjoys a momentous run with Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. And Shammgod can gamble on the Magic becoming a long-term force in the Eastern Conference by reconnecting with his old friend. Advertisement Dallas has a talented roster and a potential generational talent on the way, but it is not necessarily an immediate launching pad to prosperity. Anthony Davis weathered injury troubles as soon as he arrived in town, and Kyrie Irving is recovering from a torn ACL. Therefore, the squad's competitive standing for next season is mired in uncertainty. Moreover, the residual effects of the Luka Doncic saga could incentivize employees to remove themselves from the organization if a favorable opportunity presents itself. Based on their own recent actions, it seems like the Mavericks are anticipating changes to their coaching staff. Jason Kidd is welcoming in longtime assistant Jay Triano, who operated as an associate head coach with the Sacramento Kings last season. His experience may prove especially vital if Sweeney departs. More modifications may be required. Fortunately, the Mavs know exactly who they are taking with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on June 25, so they should have enough spare time to search for new assistants if necessary. Related: Mavericks' Kyrie Irving shoots back at Tracy McGrady's handles comment Related: Kyrie Irving drops words of wisdom at basketball camp
