daa, the operator of Dublin Airport, today outlined its support for the MetroLink project, which would provide an efficient transport link between Swords, Dublin Airport and Dublin city centre for staff and passengers.
Addressing An Board Pleanála's oral hearing into the MetroLink project on Tuesday morning, daa called for the expedient delivery of Metrolink as a key element of the growth of Dublin Airport beyond 40 million passengers per annum.
Speaking at the hearing, daa's Mark Finegan, Head of Strategy and Operations Infrastructure at daa, said that the development of MetroLink will enhance the unique role played by Dublin Airport as the island’s main gateway to the rest of the world, while underpinning the economy at large by facilitating tourism, foreign direct investment, trade and many thousands of jobs.
Mr Finegan told the hearing that the development of MetroLink clearly supports the national strategic objective of growing high quality international connectivity, adding that daa is fully committed to continuing to work with Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) on the co-ordination of the MetroLink development on the Dublin Airport campus.
daa and TII have consulted extensively over the course of the MetroLink project to date, resulting in TII agreeing to a number of conditions which daa has requested An Bord Pleanala attach to any grant of permission.
These conditions - relating to the security, safety and operation of the airport during construction and operation - have been set out in daa's correspondence to An Bord Pleanala and acknowledged as part of TII’s opening statements.