A climate officer at Fáilte Ireland is among 20 people who have launched a judicial review against the MetroLink despite the tourism body praising the project's green benefits.
Geraldine Ann Cusack, a sustainability and climate action officer, lives in the upmarket Dartmouth Square in Ranelagh, Dublin, close to a proposed MetroLink station, which she says will lower property values in her area.
The last-minute judicial review will cause an 'inevitable delay' to the project, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) said yesterday.
Despite Fáilte Ireland hailing the project as 'vital', Ms Cusack also objected to a 2022 railway order that allowed the MetroLink to begin, complaining that the residential streets nearby would see significant additional traffic and that there was inadequate parking.
A January 2023 submission by Ms Cusack to An Bord Pleanála stated she was 'broadly in favour' of the MetroLink but had concerns about the proposed terminus near her home. She noted that the MetroLink should not stop in Ranelagh, which is already served by the Luas.
She added: 'For many houses in the area, there will be a long-term and permanent adverse impact upon property values from noise of the operating rail infrastructure, vents, tannoy systems, escalators, and large traffic volumes - vehicular and pedestrian using the station 19 hours per day.'
Ms Cusack also stated that environmental and noise assessments were 'wholly inadequate' and that the construction of the station would make remote working difficult for years. She asked: 'How am I expected to be able to work my full-time employment role for 9+ years with all the combined noise impacts affecting the quality of my working environment?
'How does this project justify the intolerable levels of interference through loss of sleep, general ongoing daily disturbance and psychological impacts resulting in a detriment to human health for me and my neighbours who are also full-time employed and work from home?'
MetroLink would include 18.8km of railway line, most of which will be underground, from Charlemont near Dublin city centre to Swords Estuary. According to Ms Cusack's LinkedIn page, she has held the role at Fáilte Ireland since July 2022, several months before a submission to An Bord Pleanála (ABP) in November of that year, in which the tourism body gave its support for the railway order.
Fáilte Ireland's manager of environment and planning, Shane Dineen, wrote to ABP, now An Coimisiún Pleanála, in November 2022, stating: 'From a tourism perspective, Fáilte Ireland is fully supportive of this infrastructure project and are pleased to see it progress to the planning phase. We believe this is a vital piece of tourism infrastructure which exists in most capital cities, and Ireland remains as one of only a small number of countries in Europe without a metro or rail connection to its main international airport.'
Ms Cusack's superior also highlighted the environmental benefits of the MetroLink. 'The project has an essential part to play in enabling sustainable visitor movement and transit from Dublin to our regional cities and towns. Driving decarbonisation of the tourism sector is a key priority of Fáilte Ireland's strategy,' he said.
When contacted for comment, a Fáilte Ireland spokesperson said: 'We believe the MetroLink will play a vital role in enhancing sustainable transport infrastructure, improving connectivity for visitors, and supporting the long-term growth of Ireland's tourism economy.
Like all private citizens, Fáilte Ireland employees are entitled to engage in the planning process in a personal capacity and to express their own views independently of their employer.'
The application for a judicial review is due to be heard on Monday. Ms Cusack previously worked as a hydrogeologist at Bord na Móna and an engineer in the Environment and Infrastructure Department of Meath County Council. She was contacted for a response.
The Dartmouth Square objectors include 18 other individuals from 12 households and one company. Kalamunda Co Unlimited has objected to the project, and its director, Sharon McCabe, lives in the square. Ms McCabe previously served as the chief executive of Ireland's largest pharmacy brand, McCabes Pharmacy.
Most of the residents who hope to overturn the planning permission live on Dartmouth Square, close to the planned Charlemont terminus at the southern end of the line. Some had previously submitted objections to An Coimisiún Pleanála, opposing the decision to locate a major interchange at the Charlemont stop.
Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien stated yesterday that the planned 2027 start date for the MetroLink seems unlikely.
'I'm sure there are some genuine concerns that residents have there, around the construction process. But look, it's very early days,' he said. '2027... is a stretch to start construction.'
In a statement, TII said: 'We regret the inevitable delay that will result for a project after three years of significant scrutiny and public consultation since the railway order was submitted, including three rounds of extensive public consultation.'