Dr Sweeney was appointed following an extensive national and international recruitment competition and comes with over 30 years’ of experience in the delivery of large-scale construction projects.
As the former Chief Executive Officer of City Rail Link in Auckland, New Zealand, he was responsible for the development and delivery of New Zealand’s first metro line.
Dr Sweeney studied engineering at Wellington Polytechnic and Auckland University and later gained a Doctorate in Construction Economics from Melbourne University.
He worked in the infrastructure industry internationally before returning to New Zealand in 2018 to lead City Rail Link Ltd, delivering the transformative underground rail link in Auckland’s city centre and New Zealand’s biggest-ever transport infrastructure project.
MetroLink faces into a number of critical milestones including the potential granting of a railway order and Government consideration of Decision Gate Two, which if granted, will sanction the start of the procurement for the main infrastructure contracts.
As the new MetroLink Programme Director, Dr Sweeney will be responsible for leading the development and delivery of this programme, which aims to provide a new high-frequency, environmentally friendly public transport service for Dublin.
On his appointment, Dr Sweeney said:
“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.”
MetroLink will be built between central Dublin and the city’s airport and connect with existing road and rail public transport.
With a projected €9.5 billion budget, it is almost 19 kilometres long, most of it underground and includes 16 new stations.
