Minister Michael McGrath has said that Dublin MetroLink will enter the planning process in the first half of next year.
The Minister for Public Expenditure made the comments ahead of the Government's launch of the revised National Development Plan.
The Government has allocated €165bn to the plan, €35bn of which is expected to be spent on transport.
It will see €2 spent on public transport for every €1 spent on roads.
Speaking on Newstalk this morning, Minister McGrath said it is important for the Government to get Metro into the planning process over the coming months.
He said: "The plan for MetroLink, as set out in this new National Development Plan, is that it will enter the statutory planning process in the first half of next year.
"You are subject to an approval process, and we all have to acknowledge that.
"Even with the political will, with the budget to back it up you have to get approval.
"And for a mega project of this scale, there are significant steps that have to be gone through in that project development life cycle.
"But a preliminary business case has now been submitted, will be going to Government in the coming months as required under the public spending code.
"And once that is approved, it then commences the statutory planning process - and really much depends on how quickly that journey can be completed.
"And the important thing from the Government's point of view now is to get it into that statutory planning phase in the coming months.
"And I know Minister Eamon Ryan is committed to doing that."
Last week, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan said he could not say the precise year that Metro will be delivered.
He said: ""We will deliver Metro, we can't be absolutely precise on the year because it does have to go through the planning system."
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