The State’s handling of major infrastructure projects has often been criticised for its excessive duration and the high costs involved. Instances include the prolonged journey to establish the Dublin airport rail link, the complex history of the National Children’s Hospital, and the unnecessarily protracted process of aligning the capital’s two Luas lines, commonly attributed to political indecision, bureaucratic stagnation, and widespread litigation.
While such larger projects receive most attention, it’s easy to overlook smaller successes which significantly enhance citizens’ quality of life, particularly in Dublin. One such example is the recent inauguration of the Kishoge train station, offering services to the newly developed suburb of Clonburris. This station, initially a casualty of the 2008 economic and property market crashes and unused for 15 years, has now been transformed with a €3.8 million investment. It now boasts 48 daily train services in each direction, delivering passengers to Heuston station within 14 minutes. The upcoming Dart+ scheme will also introduce electric services and reduced travel time.
In addition, the ambitious BusConnects initiative is set to transform the city’s bus network, with ridership on already transformed routes climbing by 26 per cent. By 2030, the programme is expected to create numerous kilometres of segregated bus and bike lanes, addressing the existing imbalance between private vehicles and other road users. Undoubtedly, substantial infrastructure projects like these bring temporary disruption but eventually result in significant public benefits and contribute to carbon emissions reduction.
Furthermore, a vital but less-publicised project underway in central Dublin aims to introduce continuous sidewalks across minor street intersections, encouraging pedestrian movement and signalling drivers to prioritise pedestrians.
Controversy surrounding minor changes to traffic movement on the Liffey quays may appear exaggerated. The impact of these alterations on reducing private vehicle passage through the city centre remains uncertain. However, should these changes alleviate public transport congestion, they would indeed bring much-needed benefits.
Prime Minister Simon Harris has put forward the idea that money obtained from the disposal of AIB shares by the government should be channelled into enhancing infrastructure. With the nation’s populace continuously escalating, it becomes undeniable that infrastructure objectives require reconsideration. This adjustment necessitates the extra funding that the Prime Minister has advocated for. However, there’s also a crucial need for a drastically enhanced methodology for the approval and execution of public projects, of any scale, all over the country.