Almost three quarters of a billion euro will have been spent on the MetroLink rail project by the end of the year, before construction of the 19km line begins, an Oireachtas committee has been told.The new figures include the purchase of the O’Connell Street redevelopment site, previously planned by UK property group Hammerson as part of a large-scale shopping centre development.Hammerson said on Wednesday it had sold assets, valued at £69 million (€80.7 million), including multiple holdings in central Dublin which had been bought by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), the State transport developer. TII has confirmed it has bought more than 2.5 acres from Hammerson, encompassing almost all of the western side of Upper O’Connell Street, including the former Carlton cinema site.TII would