The departure of MetroLink programme director Sean Sweeney is a significant blow to this vital rail project to connect Swords in north Dublin to Charlemont in the south. It comes at a time when progress was – after many years – starting to be made on delivering the plan. Now the Government must ensure momentum is not lost.
Sweeney is returning to New Zealand after less than two years in the job, saying that this was driven by family reasons and being 10,000 miles away from children and grandchildren. Finding a replacement will be no easy task. Sweeney was hired after an international search on a salary of €550,000 per annum. This was justified on the basis of his experience on major projects in New Zealand, Australia and the US, including an underground rail project in Auckland. People with this kind of experience are hard to find, but they bring essential skills.
International studies have shown that states get more efficient as they gain experience in delivering particular types of major project. In effect, by hiring Sweeney, Ireland was “buying in” some of this invaluable expertise.
It may not be impossible to find someone else with a similar record, but it will take some time. And Sweeney’s departure, after a relatively short period in the job, will inevitably raise some questions for potential replacements, who will need to be convinced that it has full political support.
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Sweeney said that the Government was fully committed to the project and a strong team was in place to deliver it. But with updated costings to go to Cabinet shortly and a likely price tag well in excess of €10 billion, the project will again be in the spotlight. A massive investment with years of complex and often contentious work lies ahead.
The project is central to Dublin’s transport infrastructure planning – and to housing strategy. Yet such is Ireland’s record on big projects that Sweeney’s departure will raise fears of yet further delay on a project that has already been spoken about for 20 years. Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has to ensure this does not happen.
