Opinion

Dublin's metro plan needs tough decisions

The relentless growth of Dublin means that substantial investment in the capital's public transport structure has become an absolute necessity.

It is essential that detailed consideration is given to the ambitious plans for a £3bn underground metro service stretching from Swords to Sandyford, and crucially including a link to Dublin airport, which were announced yesterday.

The sheer scale of the National Transport Authority project, which crosses the city centre and could take almost a decade to complete, means that major planning issues are inevitable, and it will be noted that a previous metro plan unveiled in 2002 was never progressed.

However, at this stage in the development of Dublin, it is inevitable that widespread and sympathetic consultation will have to be followed by a series of tough decisions.