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The Minister for Transport plans to secure Cabinet approval to put the 19km MetroLink rail line in Dublin out to tender. The project will largely run underground and carries a projected cost of roughly €9.5bn, rising to €11.7bn with inflation and design changes. It promises a return on investment of €1.13‑€1.95 per euro spent, making it the largest infrastructure development in the State.
Minister for Transport to seek Cabinet approval for Dublin rail project to be put out to tenderThe project, which will be the largest infrastructural development undertaken by the State, will span a 19km line from Swords in north The Minister will essentially seek Cabinet approval for the MetroLink project to be put out to tender.
When tenders are received, the Government will then have to make a final decision on whether to give the go-ahead for the rail line, which will run largely underground. Irishman in Lapland: ‘I bought a house for €32,000. It’s a magic place to live’ The last estimates, drawn up in advance of the planning application lodged in September 2022, calculated €9.5 billion as the midpoint of a cost range between €7.16 billion and €12.25 billion.
The new business case maintains that construction inflation has, in the meantime, added about €1 billion to the projected costs. Changes to the design account for another €1.2 billion. The new business case is expected to say that when only the benefits directly attributable to the project are considered, every €1 invested in MetroLink is expected to return between €1.13 and €1.78.
“When the assessment is broadened to include wider economic impacts, the return on investment rises to between €1.26 and €1.95 for every €1 spent. ”, alongside Minister of State Emer Higgins, will bring legislation to Cabinet designed to improve the operation of the Assessment of Need process. The assessments are used to identify the health and education needs of disabled people, and are supposed to be completed within six months.
However, a large backlog has emerged in recent years. Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers will brief ministers on the Government’s expenditure strategy for Budget 2027. He will say there is an obligation to ensure budget measures demonstrate a clear link to improved outcomes and better public services, outlining that a planned moderation in the rate of increased spending means choices and trade-offs will be needed for next year.
Minister for Communications Patrick O’Donovan will brief Cabinet on plans to reconstitute a lapsed taskforce on mobile and broadband, to be renamed the digital connectivity and infrastructure taskforce. A central goal will be to help remove mobile phone and internet black spots, particularly along roads and rail networks. Elsewhere, Government chief whip Mary Butler will update Cabinet on the Coalition’s legislative priorities for the rest of the year.
In addition to a slate of laws giving legal effect to next month’s budget, the Waterford TD will brief ministers on legislation across housing, health, infrastructure, climate, justice and public services in the autumn legislative programme. These include laws on remediating defects in apartments and enabling the construction of private wires, on assisted human reproduction, immigration reform and cybersecurity, and on disability.
Minister for Higher and Further Education James Lawless will ask the Government to note the annual report of Research Ireland, marking its first full year of operation. He will tell ministers that the agency’s activity supported more than 8,000 researchers and is estimated to sustain 58,000 jobs. Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, alongside Minister for the Environment Darragh O’Brien, will bring a new National Bioeconomy Strategy to Cabinet which will cover the period up to 2030.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee will brief Cabinet on Ireland’s current engagement with the OECD, and also affirm plans to move ahead with scrapping the Triple Lock in response to a private members bill on the plan being brought by Sinn Féin today. Government levy will impact funding for Uisce Éireann, IDA, Fáilte IrelandOver-70s urged to check eligibility for energy costs payment from StateNBC News helicopter crashes in Los Angeles, killing threeThe Irish Times view on housing delivery: speed is of the essence Our politics team's behind-the-scenes take on events of the day. Sent Monday to Friday when the Dáil is in session
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