An Bord Pleanála has scheduled the €9.5bn Dublin Metrolink oral hearing for February 19, to be held at the Gresham Hotel, with the duration yet to be decided.
The senior planning inspector assigned will prepare a report and recommendation after the hearings, which will be divided into modules addressing specific topics and areas.
The first module will discuss tunnelling and excavation impacts, including property and environmental effects, while the second will focus on land acquisition and other concerns.
Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) will present an opening submission at the hearings, followed by input from Dublin City Council, prescribed bodies, and elected representatives.
The Metrolink project, including 16 new stations from Swords to Charlemont on the Grand Canal in Ranelagh, aims to start construction in 2025, with operations beginning in 2035, and has received 318 submissions since its proposal.
Key concerns to be addressed include the potential impact on St Stephen’s Green, with the Office of Public Works highlighting possible severe and permanent heritage damage from a Metrolink station.
