The long awaited Dart extension and Metro projects - due to be completed by 2027 - are set to be delayed again.
This comes as the Government is due to publish an updated National Development Plan, which will run up until 2030, this month.
The Mail on Sunday reports today that construction on these two major projects won't begin until 2027.
It says the Dart+ won't be completed until 2032 with the Metro Link to be completed by 2034 at the earliest.
Details of the delays were revealed at a Cabinet meeting in July, the same one that discussed the UN appointment of Katherine Zappone, according to the paper.
Delays to begin construction of Metro Link as mooted in today’s Mail on Sunday are completely unacceptable and will have a retrograde impact on Dublin North, Swords and @DublinAirport. I’ve requested an urgent meeting with @EamonRyan and Dept officials for Oireachtas members pic.twitter.com/sfcAgSCRWN
— Regina Doherty (@ReginaDo) September 19, 2021
Fine Gael Senator Regina Doherty says further delays to the MetroLink would be "disgraceful" and "not acceptable".
The leader of the Seanad is calling on Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to confirm whether there will be delays and, if there will be, to hold an urgent meeting with all relevant Oireachtas members.
Dublin is the only capital city in Europe without a rapid transport link to the airport.
"People come to Ireland from all over the world particularly the Untied States because of our warm welcome, and our beautiful climate, and our lovely country," says Doherty.
"But one of the things that they always say to us is they can't believe when they arrive in the capital city of Ireland that there isn't a link or rail link to bring you straight into the city."
'Vital Necessity'
Sinn Féin TD for Dublin North-West, Dessie Ellis says this news is a "big blow" for residents in North Dublin who have long been waiting for the transport services.
"It's also a huge blow to anyone involved in talking about climate change because this was designed to take a huge amount of traffic off the road and a link to the airport," he says.
Metrolink will provide a direct public transport route between Dublin Airport and the city.
Ellis says the link to Dublin Airport is a "vital necessity" for the whole country but especially for the people of Dublin.
