Environmental Legislation | Planning & Risk Management

Posted on August 8, 2010 by daver

Vincent Salafia, B.A, J.D., LLM (TCD) – Currently guest lecturer in Environmental Legislation and Planning and Risk Management in the Management School – Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) – part of the MSc Environmental Management and MSc Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility degree tracks. Member of the Irish Association of Law Teachers (IALT) and the Irish Environmental Law Association (IELA).

Support Save Newgrange, which opposes the current route of the N2 Slane bypass, which runs 500m from the Bend of the Boyne UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Contact: Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter – or email vsalafia at qub.ac.uk
Call +353-87-132-3365

Posted in Cultural Preservation, Education, Environmental Protection, Salafia, Vincent, Vincent Salafia | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Balance in the budget – Letter to the Editor – The Irish Times

Posted on October 28, 2011 by vincent

Balance in the budget

Letter to the Editor – The Irish Times - 28 October 2011

Sir, – With the presidential election debate all but concluded, we can now get back to the pressing matter of the upcoming budget. It is heartbreaking to read of cuts to essential public services, while grandiose, multi-million infrastructure projects, such as the new Dublin to Derry road, proceed.

Age Action is appealing to the Government to reverse fuel cuts, which “is literally a life and death issue for hundreds of older people . . .” (Home News, October 26th).

“Health authorities are cutting funding for homeless services in parts of the capital by up to 10 per cent over the coming winter months, despite growing pressure on services.” (Carl O’Brien, October 26th) Yet, “Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to cross-Border infrastructure programmes, including . . . the main Dublin to Derry road. Mr Gilmore said the Coalition would stand by spending commitments in Northern Ireland estimated at some €466 million.” (Home News, June 4th). This completely contradicts Labour’s pre-election promises. Joe Costello, Labour’s former transport spokesman told concerned groups in January that “Labour would draft a new national development plan if it entered government and every current infrastructure project would be reviewed, ‘no matter what stage of planning it is at’.” (January 14th) He also promised that hearings would be held in the Transport Committee, into the Dublin to Derry road.

But there has been no new cost/benefit analysis of roads projects done, and no hearings in the Transport Committee.

Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, should examine lower cost alternatives to building a brand new road from Dublin to Derry, like he did with the Metro and Dart. Upgrading the existing road and improving rail is the obvious thing to do.

The lives of our citizens, especially the most vulnerable should be at the top of our Government’s agenda, as we head into the cold winter months.

– Yours, etc,

VINCENT SALAFIA,

Mary’s Abbey, Dublin 7.

PLEASE WRITE TO lettersed@irishtimes.com

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Media Coverage – Demonstrations against the Slane Bypass / Dublin to Derry Road

Posted on October 24, 2011 by vincent

Thanks to everyone who came out to demonstrate against the proposed new Dublin to Derry Road, which includes the Slane Bypass, on Friday. Thanks too, to those who helped promote the events online. We started at the Dail, and Press Association kindly covered the event, which was picked up by Metro Herald:

(Left – right) Ciaran McClean , Aoife Power and Vincent Salafia at a protest outside Leinster House, Dublin against the proposed new 1 billion Euro Motorway A5/M2 between Dublin and Derry.

From there we went to Dame St, and showed our support for Occupy Dame Street.

Then we continued on to the GPO were Martin McGuinness was campaigning on the Presidential trail. Laura Grealish challenged him about Sinn Fein’s failure to object to the Slane bypass, in contrast with their opposition to the M3 at Tara. The story was picked up by the Guardian:

“On Friday afternoon, outside Irish republicanism’s most sacred spot – Dublin’s General Post Office, where the 1916 Easter Rising began – McGuinness was confronted, not for the first time, by members of the public opposed to his politics. On this occasion, the subject was not his record with the IRA, nor his alleged role in several high-profile atrocities. A cross-community group of environmental activists from Northern Ireland interrupted his canvass on O’Connell Street to object to Sinn Féin support for a new Dublin/Derry road link, which they say will mean the destruction of homes, farms and businesses. One of those who accosted McGuinness was Ciaran McClean, son of Paddy Joe McClean, a prominent activist in the Northern Ireland civil rights movement who was tortured by the British army in 1971.

“I ambushed McGuinness outside the GPO. I asked him why he supported taking half a billion euros out of the Irish economy for a road. His heavies [security guards] weren’t too pleased,” McClean said yesterday.

Posted in Alternative A5 Alliance, Cultural Preservation, Save Newgrange, Vincent Salafia | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Lobby group welcomes decision to suspend Slane bypass project

Posted on August 10, 2011 by vincent

On behalf of Save Newgrange, I would like to thank all our thousands of supporters for helping persuade the Government that the Slane Bypass is not a viable economic project. Please join is in demanding the HGV ban is immediately implemented in Slane. The story was on RTE Radio One Drivetime yesterday, and is featured in the papers today, below:

Lobby group welcomes decision to suspend Slane bypass project

The Irish Times – Wednesday, August 10, 2011
By Fiona gartland

A GROUP which lobbied against the Slane bypass because of its impact on the Brú na Bóinne heritage site has welcomed a decision by Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to suspend its development. Mr Varadkar recently said no new road projects were to start in 2012, 2013 and 2014 and only six projects already under way would be completed this year. The Minister has instructed the National Roads Authority to bring all road projects in planning to the end of their current planning stage and then suspend them with a view to reopening them in the future.

Only the N25 Cork SRR interchanges, the N3 Belturbet bypass, the N5 Longford bypass, the N22 Tralee bypass, the N4 Downs Grade Separation and the N52 Carrickbridge to Dalystown will go ahead this year. The Slane bypass had been the subject of an oral hearing and is currently under consideration by An Bord Pleanála. Local residents in Slane had lobbied for its construction because of the high level of road deaths on and around the town’s bridge. However heritage groups had expressed outrage at the choice of route for the bypass, which brought it close to Brú na Bóinne, a Unesco world heritage site.

Vincent Salafia, spokesman for Save Newgrange, said the group was relieved by confirmation that the Slane bypass was among the projects suspended. “The county council’s own expert, along with numerous internationally renowned experts, advised against the proposed route because of the damage it would do to the world heritage site,” he said. He called on Meath County Council, the National Roads Authority and the Minister to work together to implement a HGV ban in the village.In a statement yesterday, the Department of Transport said it would be “reckless and irresponsible to spend €20-€30 million a year” to bring roads projects on to their next planning stage when there was no money to build them and they were “struggling to find adequate funds to maintain existing roads”. The same decision was taken for the Luas BXD, Metro North and Dart Underground projects on which €200 million had been spent.

[Write letters to lettersed@irishtimes.com calling for HGV ban]

—-

Fury as bypass put on hold despite grim toll of 22 deaths

Irish Independent – Wednesday August 10 2011
By Breda Heffernan, Elaine Keogh and Paddy Clancy

RESIDENTS are furious that plans for a bypass of Slane have been suspended despite 22 people having lost their lives on a horrific ‘bottleneck stretch of road’. The Irish Independent revealed yesterday that a €50m project to bypass the Co Meath village would be suspended for at least three years due to government cutbacks. The project is currently before An Bord Pleanala which is expected to deliver its ruling before the end of the year.

Concerned residents yesterday said it was “devastating” to abandon the project at this stage. Niamh O’Broin, a local mother of two young children, said safety and preventing deaths is the sole reason for the bypass. “When people talk about this bypass, it is not about how many minutes you can save on your journey from Dublin to Derry. It is synonymous with safety and saving lives, not shaving off minutes in the car.”

Dangerous

The road through the village is particularly dangerous as it has steep inclines on both sides of the River Boyne with a sharp turn on to the bridge in between. Ms O’Broin was involved in a serious accident in March 2009 when a heavy goods vehicle lost control on the top of the hill, causing a nine-car pile-up. “The problems in the village have not gone away despite the 30km speed limit,” she warned. Michele Power, a spokeswoman for the Slane Bridge Action Group, said it would be “devastating” to have the plans shelved, adding, “it would be pennywise and pound foolish with people’s lives”.

Fianna Fail councillor Wayne Harding said it was extraordinary that local Fine Gael TD and Minister of State for Agriculture Shane McEntee, had joined residents on numerous marches demanding a bypass, yet was now part of an administration calling a halt to the project. “If this administration shelves this project, there is every possibility they will end up with blood on their hands,” he warned.

However, Mr McEntee yesterday insisted there was “no change” in the position of the proposed bypass. In a statement, Mr McEntee said the bypass would still be brought through An Bord Pleanala and, if approved, lands would be bought, bringing the project to “shovel ready” status. However, he failed to mention that the project would then be suspended along with dozens of others until funds become available, something Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has already confirmed. Based on current plans, no new road projects will be started between 2012 and 2014. The Slane bypass, a 3.5km stretch of dual carriageway, is estimated to cost up to €50m.

- Breda Heffernan, Elaine Keogh and Paddy Clancy

[Write to independent.letters@unison.independent.ie]

Statement by Shane MacEntee

‘There is absolutely no change in the position regarding a road bypass for Slane, in county Meath’, Shane McEntee TD has said. He continued: ‘I spoke this morning to the Office of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I have confirmed with them that there is no change in the progress of the bypass. This project is currently before An Bord Pleanala. It will be brought through An Bord Pleanala. If they approve it, there will be a requirement to start purchasing the necessary land within 18 months of approval being granted for a scheme. I have been assured that the project will be brought through the land purchase stage as well. This will bring the project to ‘shovel ready’ status’.

Shane McEntee also said: ‘Only three weeks ago Leo Varadkar’s Department met the National Roads Authority and confirmed to them that the Slane by-pass is among the ‘top five’ priority road projects to be completed by them, once planning approval has been received. The NRA has allocated €2 million to bring the project through to the next stages. These are the facts in relation to the bypass, contrary to the inaccurate report in today’s ‘Irish Independent’ and the opportunistic statement issued by Senator Thomas Byrne based on that report.’

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Government Must Prioritize National Monuments Bill in Programme of Legislation

Posted on April 6, 2011 by vincent

Press Release | Save Newgrange | 6 April 2011

Government Must Prioritize National Monuments Bill in Programme of Legislation

Save Newgrange is calling on the Government to add the National Monuments Bill to its list of 20 urgent Bills to be published by the end of the Summer Session on July 21st. The call comes in response to first Programme of Legislation published yesterday, listing 105 Bills at various stages of preparation.

The Bill must be presented immediately, since last month, the current National Monuments Act was held in breach of the EU Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The Court found that the decision by former Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, to demolish Lismullin national monument at Tara was illegal, since a new EIA was not required by the Act.

Save Newgrange had announced on Monday that it was staging a demonstration outside Dail Eireann on Friday, calling for the Bill to be passed before Summer, and before An Bord Pleanala decides whether to give planning permission for the N2 Slane Bypass, which is proposed to pass within 500m of the Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage site. The proposal has been condemned by national and international experts. The demonstration will take place on Kildare Street, at 1.00pm on Friday.

A Save Newgrange spokesperson said:

“The Government is showing its colours, and they are not much different than the previous ones. It is now abundantly clear that there is the same disregard for heritage and the environment, coupled the same two-fingered approach to the European Commission’s Environment Directorate.

“This lack of priority for heritage in the Programme of Legislation also shows how weak Labour is in the coalition. It had been the most outspoken of Opposition parties against the M3 motorway at Tara.

“Eamon Gilmore had been highly critical of the 2004 Amendment to the National Monuments Act, brought in by Martin Cullen and now found to be illegal by the ECJ.

“If Eamon Gilmore wants to wash off the stain on Ireland’s international reputation, he should be trying to ensure that Bru na Boinne site does not suffer the fate of the Hill of Tara, and become the next great international embarrassment.

ENDS

Contact: Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365

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Call for Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, to Amend the Illegal National Monuments Act

Posted on April 3, 2011 by vincent

‘Preservation’ of the Lismullin National Monument – M3 Motorway at Hill of Tara – 2007

The new Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, must act immediately to amend the National Monuments Act and the Planning and Development Act to comply with EU law and save our important cultural and archaeological sites.

The National Monuments Act of Ireland has been found to be in breach of EU law in two separate European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings, and Ireland will face fines of up to €33,000 per day if it does not comply. National monuments and UNESCO World Heritage Sites are at currently risk after the ECJ found in March 2011 that the decision made by then Minister for the Environment Dick Roche, to demolish the Lismullin National Monument at the Hill of Tara in 2007 was in breach of EU law.

Save Newgrange is calling on Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan, to present the National Monuments Bill 2010 to the Dail for passage. The Bill was approved by Cabinet not long before a General Election was called in 2010. The Bill had been drafted after extensive public consultation, which took place between 2007 and 2010, and it provides the level of legal protection required by EU law. However, Minister Gormley and the Green Party failed to present the National Monuments Bill 2010 to the Dail before they were removed from Government in the 2011 General Election.

The two European Court of Justice cases against Ireland, which require amendment to the National Monuments Act and the Planning and Development Act are:

Case C-50/09 – Commission v. Ireland (3 March 2011)

On 3 March 2011, the European Court of Justice ruled against Ireland in a case brought by the European Commission, which alleged that the National Monuments Act (2004) is in breach of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, 85/337/EEC. The issues involved included: Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Obligation of the competent environmental authority to carry out an assessment of the effects of certain projects on the environment – Need to ensure an assessment of the interaction between factors likely to be directly or indirectly affected – Application of the directive to demolition works.

In May 2007,works on the M3 motorway were halted after TaraWatch informed the National Museum that a major archaeological site had been discovered by the National Roads Authority (NRA) at Lismullin, close to the Hill of Tara. The 2,000 year old ‘henge’ site had not been previously detected, despite two major archaeological surveys of the route. Other remains, including spectacular rock art and ‘souterrains’ or underground dwellings were also discovered. The site was later be hailed as one of the Top 1o Most Important Discoveries in the world for 2007, by Archaeology Magazine.

On 12 June 2007 Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, declared Lismullin a ‘national monument’, but gave directions under Section 14 the National Monuments Act for the site to be excavated and then demolished, to allow the M3 motorway to proceed. It was one of his last official acts, before handing over his office to the new Minister for the Environment, John Gormley of the Green Party, who immediately claimed that he could not undo the order.

In July 2007 EU officials called on Minister Gormley to halt to the works at Lismullin, but were ignored. Instead Minister Gormley proceeded to defend the Order, after the European Commission wrote a “reasoned opinion” to the Government in June 2007. The Commission warned the Government that the policy in relation to assessments was in breach of EU directives and demanded that an Environmental Impact Assessment be carried out on the site before any decision to demolish it was made.

The Petitions Committee of the European Parliament also visited the Lismullin site in June 2007, and in July wrote to the Irish Government, demanding an immediate stop to the M3 works at Lismullin. Minister Gormley ignored this demand, actually claimed that he didn’t even know that the Commission had ordered works to halt until he read about it in The Irish Independent on 30 August 2007. After salvage excavations were competed, the Lismullin national monument site was handed over to Ferrovial construction company in December 2007, and completely demolished shortly thereafter.

Case C-66/06 – Commission v. Ireland (Nov 2008 & March 2011)

The Commission won a case against Ireland, in the European Court of Justice, on 20 November 2008, on issues of: Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Directive 85/337/EEC –Assessment of the effects of projects on the environment – Consent given without an assessment. The Commission had argued that the Planning and Development Regulations, 2001 (S.I. No 600/2001), as amended, was in breach of the EIA Directive, by failing to establish adequate thresholds, which require Environmental Impact Assessment to be performed on public and private developments. This resulted in natural and archaeological sites being damaged.

In February 2011, the European Commission petitioned the ECJ to impose fines on Ireland for failing to properly implement the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive. The Commission won the original case against Ireland, in November 2008, but then Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, failed to rectify the law before leaving office.

The Government is required under the directive on the assessment of the environmental impact of certain public and private projects to set up a system to decide whether an environmental impact assessment study is required before authorisation. Under the directive, the decision on when such an assessment is required can be made according to set thresholds, case-by-case analysis or other criteria in line with EU criteria. In its 2008 ruling, the Luxembourg-based court found that Ireland’s thresholds were too high for setting out when an environmental impact assessment is required for water management, irrigation and land drainage projects and the restructuring of rural landholdings, which was resulting in the loss of important natural and archaeological heritage sites.

Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, failed to change Irish law to comply with EU law, and the European Commission was forced to initiate a second law suit against Ireland, in February 2011, seeking fines against Ireland for it’s failure to implement EU Law.  In the new case against Ireland the commission will ask the court to impose a fine of €4,000 for each day since the court ruled against Ireland on November 20th 2008 and for each day until the court issues a new infringement ruling. Any failure to comply with a new ruling should be punished by a fine of €33,000 per day.

Minister Hogan called on to improve environmental protection

Since the new Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan (FG) took office in February, 2011, community-based campaign groups from around Ireland have called on the Government to ratify a United Nations convention on public access to information, participation and justice in environmental decision-making – the AARHUS Convention, which links human rights and protection of the environment. Instead, the Minister is reportedly ‘reviewing’ changes made to the Planning Acts by the Green Party, that limited decisions to rezone land (see ‘Minister risks returning to bad old days of planning‘ – Irish Times – 31 March 2011.)

Save Newgrange and and TaraWatch are now calling on the Minister Hogan to immediately move to amend the National Monuments Act and the Planning Act, as required by EU law, before An Bord Pleanala makes a decision on whether or not to grant planning permission for the N2 Slane bypass, which is proposed to run 500m from the Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage Site. A decision is expected from the Bord before the end of summer.

Links:

Ancient Tomb Art Found in Path of Irish Highway – National Geographic – 14 Jan 2008

Commission seeks fines against Ireland for not adopting legislation to protect countryside heritage – European Commission Press Release – 16 February 2011

State faces €3.2m fine over breach of EU ruling – The Irish Times – 17 February 2011

Farming – Opinion – The Irish Times - 21 February 2011

Europe ruling on planning directive welcomed – The Irish Times – 5 March 2011

Ireland in breach of EU law – Irish Examiner – 5 March 2011

National Roads Authority – Lismullin Excavation reports

Posted in Environmental Impact Assessment, European Law, National Monuments, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Re:Public2011 candidate debate with Vincent Browne and David McWilliams – Tue 15 Feb – Button Factory

Posted on February 12, 2011 by vincent

Vincent Browne and David McWilliams are special guest hosts in the first Re:Public2011 event at  The Button Factory on 15 Feb. 6:30pm doors €2 adm. 12 candidates from around dublin from all parties are put to the test with audience questions. Also, comedy from Joe Rooney and music from The Last Tycoons and Jerry Fish and more. Tickets can be pre booked by emailing republic2011@gmail.com. event will be streamed live on www.republic2011.com

Re:Public 2011 is a campaign to engage more people in politics.

We are interested in fair and equal democracy.

We are also interested in transparency, and reform in Ireland.

Re:Public2011 are holding events all around the country to try to involve more people in the democratic process. If you would like to hold an event please see Host an Event page.

Re:Public2011 is a not-for-profit open network so feel free to get involved, add to this site, make suggestions, join our network.

Contact: Republic2011@gmail.com

facebook

twitter: @republic2011

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Meath Chronicle – Hearing on Slane bypass due to start next month

Posted on January 26, 2011 by vincent

Hearing on Slane bypass due to start next month

Meath Chronicle -Wednesday, 26th January, 2011 4:52pm

The oral hearing into the proposed Slane Bypass will begin on 15th February in the Boyne Valley Hotel, Drogheda. An Bord Pleanala confirmed the date last week for the hearing on the route of the proposed N2 bypass. The roads would divert up to 10,000 vehicles a day away from Slane bridge, the scene of numerous fatal accidents over the years.

The planning board will hold a preliminary meeting in Drogheda’s Boyne Valley Hotel next Wednesday to acertain how many people want to make submissions to the main oral hearing. Cllr Wayne Harding has welcomed the oral hearings, pointing out that Slane bridge has been the scene of numerous traffic accidents which has claimed the lives of 22 people over the years. “Another milestone has been reached in what has been along journey. I am very happy with what will be extensive consultation in relation to the proposed route. I believe that the enormous amount of further information submitted clears up a lot of the issues that have grown up around the application,” he said. “I fully respect the independence of the board, but will be making the point that this year’s winter only strenghtens the argument for the bypass. It was impassable on many days during the cold spell, the western wall of Slane bridge partially collapsed due to what engineers believe was frost, and subsidence on the Mill Hill caused an emergency road closure. This is unacceptable for a national primary route,” he said.

Deputy Shane McEntee said the hearing was another step towards the new bridge and bypass being built. “This new bridge is a number one priority for me. It has taken so long to get this far and every new development is a step in the right direction. I am hoping that once this oral hearing has taken place, the people of Slane will be one step closer to getting the new bridge they so desperately want and need. “The closing of the bridge this week due to roadworks is just another indication of how necessary a new bridge is. Thousands of people have been inconvenienced and have had to take alternative routes, many of which are on small back roads. It has put extra time on their journeys, as well as extra pressure on the smaller back roads, which cannot cope with the huge level of traffic. A new modern bridge would put an end to disruption like this,” he said.

Senator Dominic Hannigan said he would be adding his support to the Slane bypass campaign and stressed how important building the bypass is to the people of Slane. “Too many lives have been lost already and there have been too many times when tragedy has only narrowly been avoided. The people of Slane and their children need this bypass,” said Senator Hannigan. “As I am very much in favour of the bypass, I will be informing the board of my intentions to make an oral submission.” He added: “The first week will be spent looking at how the proposed bypass will contribute to the improvement of traffic in Slane. The archaeological implications, including the fact that the proposed route for the bypass is 500m from the buffer zone around the World Heritage Site at Brú na Bóinne, will be considered in the second week,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Save Newgrange campaign has requested a postponement of the oral hearing until after the general election. Spokesperson Vincent Salafia pointed out that the Oireachtas Transport Committee was to hold hearings in February. He said the planning board had a legal duty to consider the committee hearings, as part of the planning process, and therefore the Bord Pleanala hearing should take place after the Dail hearings.
“It is also unfair to expect stakeholders to participate in two sets of hearings simultaneously,” he added.

WRITE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR – ken@meathchronicle.ie

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Irish Times | Welcome for public hearings into plans for Dublin-Derry road

Posted on January 14, 2011 by vincent

Welcome for public hearings into plans for Dublin-Derry road

FRANK McDONALD, Environment Editor
The Irish Times – 14 January 2011

OPPONENTS OF plans for a new road between Dublin and Derry have welcomed a decision by the Oireachtas transport committee to hold public hearings next month. The proposed route would be Ireland’s longest new road, replacing much of the N2 in the Republic and the A5 in Northern Ireland. It would be part-financed by €500 million which the Government agreed to provide under the 2006 St Andrews Agreement.

The Oireachtas hearings were requested by Joe Costello TD, Labour’s transport spokesman, after he met a coalition of anti-motorway and pro-heritage groups from both sides of the Border in Leinster House this week.  Mr Costello told the delegation that Labour would draft a new national development plan if it entered government and every current infrastructure project would be reviewed, “no matter what stage of planning it is at”.

While refusing to be drawn on the N2-A5 given divided views on it in his own party, Mr Costello said the €500 million commitment would be the single biggest drawdown on transport spending in the coming years. Public consultation is under way on three sections of the route – the Slane bypass, the Monaghan bypass and the A5 in the North – which are being opposed by Save Newgrange, Don’t Bypass the Bypass and the Alternative A5 Alliance respectively.

“No cost-benefit analysis has been performed on the proposed road and traffic numbers do not justify building a new road rather than upgrading the existing one,” said Lynne Smyth of the Alternative A5 Alliance. John Dunbar, the group’s chairman, said Sinn Féin and DUP Ministers, as well as those from the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP, along with Taoiseach Brian Cowen, “have been saying quite matter of factly that the A5 is a ‘done deal’ and that is that”.  He said Mr Costello’s comments that any new administration in the Republic “would need to look again at taking a half a billion out of the Southern economy at a time of a national economic emergency puts paid to that notion”.

Save Newgrange spokesman Vincent Salafia said leading archaeologists had made submissions to An Bord Pleanála against the Slane bypass route, arguing that it would be too close to Brú na Bóinne. He said the obvious solution to traffic problems in Slane would be to ban trucks, as agreed by Meath County Council in 2009, which would force them to use the M1.

Noel Murphy of the Don’t Bypass the Bypass campaign said Economic and Social Research Institute transport economist Dr Edgar Morgenroth had characterised the proposal to build a motorway east of the new Monaghan bypass as “total overkill”.

WRITE LETTERS TO lettersed@irishtimes.com

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Transport Committee to Hold Hearings on €1bn Dublin to Derry Road

Posted on January 13, 2011 by vincent

PRESS RELEASE – SAVE NEWGRANGE – 13 Jan 2011

Transport Committee to Hold Hearings on €1bn Dublin to Derry Road

Save Newgrange welcomes the decision by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, yesterday evening, to hold public hearings in February into the proposed €1bn Dublin to Derry Road. Anti-motorway and pro-heritage groups met with Mr Costello, TD, on Tuesday, and requested that he call for the hearings. The proposed new road will be the longest and most expensive road ever built in Ireland, and includes a €500m donation from the Irish Government to the NI Executive, committed during negotiations for the St. Andrews Agreement.

The M2/A5 will also be the most controversial road ever built. Parties are lined up on a sectarian basis in NI, with the Unionists bitterly opposing the road, and nationalists adamantly supporting it. Public consultation is currently way on three sections of the proposed road; the N2 Slane bypass, the N2 Monaghan bypass, and the A5 Western Transport Corridor in Northern Ireland, which are being opposed by Save Newgrange, Don’t Bypass the Bypass and the Alternative A5 Alliance, respectively.

Secretary of the Alternative A5 Alliance, Lynne Smyth, said:

“No cost-benefit analysis has been performed on the proposed road, and traffic numbers do not justify building a new road, rather than upgrading the existing one. This is a political road, and it is becoming a major election issue.”

Spokesman for Don’t Bypass the Bypass, Noel Murphy, said:

“Ireland’s leading transport economist, Dr Edgar Morgenroth, of the ESRI, who actually worked on the National Development Plan, has condemned this add-on to the NDP as being a complete waste of taxpayers’ money. We suggested to Deputy Costello that Dr Morgenroth be invited to give evidence to the Committee.”

Spokesman for Save Newgrange, Vincent Salafia, said:

“Ireland’s foremost archaeologists, including Professor George Eogan and Joe Fenwick, have made submissions to An Bord Pleanála, opposing the route of the Slane bypass. There is simply no valid economic justification here for threatening to damage the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Brú na Bóinne. A HGV ban in Slane would solve the traffic problems.

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Minister Dempsey Must Clarify N2 Slane Bypass Funding

Posted on December 6, 2010 by vincent


SAVE NEWGRANGE – PRESS RELEASE – 6 December 2010

‘Minister Dempsey Must Clarify N2 Slane Bypass Funding’

Save Newgrange is calling on Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, (Fianna Fail) to clarify whether or not there is funding for the N2 Slane bypass in the Four Year Budget plan, after a dispute broke out on LMFM Radio this morning between Thomas Byrne TD (Fianna Fail) and Vincent Salafia of Save Newgrange.  On the Michael Reade show, Mr Byrne claimed that the bypass is going ahead after Mr Reade quoted an Irish Independent article by Paul Melia, on 25 November, which stated that it is not going ahead.

After the show, Save Newgrange contacted Mr Melia, who confirmed that he had been at a Department of Transport media briefing on on the budgetary four year plan for Transport 21, on 24 Nov, and that is was specifically announced that there was no funding for the Slane bypass. Save Newgrange has called for the An Bord Pleanala planning process, which will involve a lengthy and costly oral hearing to be held in early 2011, to be cancelled.

Speaking after the radio show, Mr Salafia said:

“Minister Dempsey must clarify the situation, and state categorically whether or not there is funding for the Slane bypass, in the four year budgetary plan.

“If there is no funding for the plan, in the next four years, then the planning process must be halted immediately.

“It is outrageous that the public and An Bord Pleanala are expected to spend enormous amounts of time and money on a planning process for a project that apparently is not proceeding.

ENDS

Contact – Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365

Posted in Save Newgrange | Leave a comment