Judicial review proceedings against Metrolink line for Dublin have been withdrawn

LAST UPDATE | 45 mins ago

THE JUDICIAL REVIEW proceedings against the MetroLink line for Dublin have been withdrawn.

An application for a judicial review of An Coimisiún Pleanála’s decision to grant permission to the project had been lodged by a number of residents of the south Dublin suburbs near where the €9.5bn project will have a terminus at Charlemont.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) had said it “regrets the inevitable delay that will result”.

However, in a post to social media this evening, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien said that he had good news to share on the Metrolink.

He said the “mediation process has worked and the judicial review has been withdrawn”.

“We’re now full steam ahead to tender and deliver this transformative project for North Dublin, Dublin city and the wider region,” he added.

O’Brien described this as an “early Christmas present for us all” and added that it “means we can enter the New Year with renewed optimism as regards delivery of this transformative project”.

“This Government has committed dedicated funding toward the project and we’re committed to establishing a dedicated delivery body to oversee the project’s construction, while next year will see the first steps taken in relation to procurement,” said O’Brien.

He further remarked that “we now have a clean planning decision which will give everyone the certainty needed about next steps”.

The resolution avoids the need for a full High Court hearing.

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MetroLink is expected to begin construction in 2028 and it’s supposed to become operational in the 2030s. 

It had been warned that if the judicial review went ahead, the best case scenario was that it bring a delay of 6-9 months, but 12-18 months was more realistic.

In the worst case scenario, there could be a delay of 2-4 years.

Residents had argued that Charlemont was the wrong location for a terminus and complained that streets nearby were small and already congested, and the terminus would create enormous issues for the local community.

Lorcan O’Connor, CEO of TII, said he met with Dartmouth Square residents over recent days and “listened to their concerns first-hand”.

He said he appreciated their “constructive approach, which has led to agreements that work for all sides”.

Seán Sweeney, MetroLink Programme Director, added that the withdrawal of the judicial review “provides clarity for the programme and the market at a critical point in its development”.

“With this matter resolved, our focus now is on progressing enabling works and advancing procurement, with contract notices for the main civil works packages to be issued in Q1 2026,” he added.

Elsewhere, the Minister for Infrastructure Jack Chambers described the announcement as a “significant and hugely positive development”.

“Reform of the judicial review system is a specific and critical action point in the recently published Accelerating Infrastructure Action Plan,” said Chambers.

“I as Minister, and Government as a whole, is committed to prioritising the public interest and supporting the delivery of important capital projects over narrow interests.

“Ensuring the general public, communities and businesses understand the benefits that capital infrastructure brings is essential to reducing the number of judicial reviews taken against important projects.”

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