Sean Sweeney, the man who will oversee Dublin's Metrolink, to be paid €550,000 a year
Metrolink is the most recent iteration of a planned subway link between Dublin city centre and Dublin Airport proposed in the early 2000s.
The man chosen to oversee the Metrolink project will be paid €550,000 per year, the Government has agreed.
New Zealander Sean Sweeney will take up the position to bring the public transport megaproject to Dublin, with the Department of Transport saying he has "a proven track record of success over three decades in leadership roles on major infrastructure projects in Australia, New Zealand and the US".
Mr Sweeney is an expert in the procurement and delivery of large capital works and tunnelling and was the Chief Executive Officer of City Rail Link, an underground rail link in Auckland’s city centre and New Zealand’s largest-ever transport infrastructure project.
He has also served as the Executive Director for Major Projects Victoria in Australia, where he managed a multibillion-dollar portfolio of projects and Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), and chaired the Victorian Government Project Management Leadership Forum.
He later served as Chief Executive Officer for Justice Infrastructure in New South Wales, delivering a $2.4bn programme and establishing the project delivery unit from scratch. He holds a PhD in Construction Economics and a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering.
The most recent projections for the final cost of Metrolink set a maximum outlay of €12.25bn, excluding VAT, though the rail link is not expected to go live before the middle of the next decade at the earliest.
Metrolink is the most recent iteration of a planned subway link between Dublin city centre and Dublin Airport proposed in the early 2000s. When Metrolink was first approved in its current format in 2018 its projected cost was just €3bn, with a delivery timeline of 2027.
The Department of Transport said that it was "recognised ahead of the recruitment process that there would only be a small group of professionals across the globe with the expertise to deliver MetroLink".
"Given the specific expertise and experience required for this transformational project, the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform sanctioned a base salary of €550,000 for the role. This is below the mean equivalent rate for this level of expertise globally."
It is also understood that he will be given relocation, car and health insurance allowances.
Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said: “Recruiting a world-recognised Project Director with a track record of getting massive infrastructural projects over the line is another important step in ensuring that this time MetroLink will be delivered. We now have one of the best people in the world on our team to get the job done.
“This transformational project is currently before planning. Once we get through the planning process, I am keen for us to go full tilt to get construction under way so that we meet our milestones and deliver a world-class metro system as quickly as possible.
“This important recruitment is not just about getting this project over the line in the next decade, it’s about ensuring that we have a transport system that is fit for purpose for decades to come.”
Mr Sean Sweeney said he was proud to be appointed to a project in the country of his father's birth.
“My late father was born and raised in Castlebar, Co Mayo. He would be thrilled and immensely proud, as I am, to know his son was going back to lead this major project for Dublin. MetroLink is a once-in-a-generation project that will transform the public transport system in the capital city and I am delighted and honoured to have been selected to spearhead its delivery.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
