The Taoiseach has suggested Dublin's first underground rail line may cost €2bn more than expected.
Metrolink is due to run from Swords to Charlemont, connecting Dublin Airport to the city centre.
When announcing the project, the government said it would cost around €3bn.
However, the Taoiseach has now indicated that figure may be much more.
While defending the cost of the National Broadband Plan this week, Leo Varadkar listed off the cost of a number pf other major investments.
One of them was:
"Somewhere between four and five billion euro to build a metro for Dublin".
It was thought the €4-5bn figure may have been a slip of the tongue, or a typo in Leo Varadkar's speech.
However, it has since been quoted by the Minister of State at the Department of Finance.
Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast on Thursday morning, Patrick O'Donovan said:
"There is a €5bn capital investment being made by the government into metro in Dublin, and rightly so".
When asked if the figure if €5bn or €3bn as initially announced, he said:
"Whatever it is going to amount to..."
Metrolink Cost - Value For Money?
The Metrolink line is going to be much shorter than originally planned.
It will stop at Charlemont, following concerns extending it to Sandyford would have forced part of the green Luas line to close for years during construction.
The National Transport Authority says it will upgrade the existing Luas line so that Metrolink can run along it, but it estimates that won't be needed for "perhaps twenty years or so".
The location of a number of planned underground stations has also been moved, to avoid road closures.
O'Connell St, Stephen's Green and Ballymun stops have all been moved.
Planners say that will "reduce disruption and make it easier for other public transport services to continue to operate during construction".
The number of homes that will be lost to make room for Metrolink has also fallen from 105 to 85.
Na Fianna GAA club has been told it can keep its pitch, as it will no longer be used during construction.
Home Farm football club will be impacted for three years during construction, but will have its pitch fully restored.
It is expected that a Railway Order application will be made in 2020, with a decision from anticipated the following year.
Construction is likely to take six to seven years.
