Dear Sir - I wish to express through your
columns my disappointment with the political u-turns
demonstrated by the opposition parties, with the
exception of the Green Party, on the subject of the
proposed M3.Fine Gael and Labour alike are heralding the imposition of an expensive toll road with equal delight. Sinn Féin's silence on the matter implies tacit acceptance. However let us not forget that they all contested the by-election of 2005 with promises to scrap toll charges. As regards the preservation of our heritage, Fine Gael said that Ireland would be the laughing stock of the international community should the proposed M3 go ahead as planned so close to the Hill of Tara. Let us also not forget that they contested the same by-election with promises to get the Dublin to Navan railway line reopened without delay. What they are now failing to recognise is that on completion of the M3, any traffic improvements that threaten M3 profitability, including opening the railway, will be shelved.
Although the contract for the M3 has no
clauses preventing competition, the toll companies will
obviously have undertakings from the government not to do
anything that will affect their profits such as opening
the railway. The same political parties do not have a
complaint to make about Meath County Council spending
over €100m on 1,700 acres of land for the proposed
motorway. The justification given by the National Roads
Authority (NRA) for the inflated price was on grounds of
the land being within development areas.Although we all welcome the advent of new jobs to Meath in order to reduce our economic dependence on Dublin, we must be mindful of the warning which the Chairman of An Bord Pleanála, John O'Connor, gave recently to councils that the investment in roads will be written off within 10 years unless they stop granting permission for major commercial schemes alongside new motorways. Mr. O'Connor warned that commercial schemes ‘piggybacking' on new roads were causing traffic problems and affecting road safety. The NRA has also recommended against this type of development.
The only reason why Meath County Council paid well in excess of the agricultural price for land earmarked for interchange along the proposed route was to facilitate development. Although this might seem attractive in the short-term in terms of creating rates revenue, its long-term effect would be to choke the proposed motorway as has been the case with the M50.
In conclusion, I ask the Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin parties to consider putting the reopening of the railway line first before bowing to a road which will be tolled to extract profit from commuters for a period of 30 to 40 years, at the end of which will be a white elephant.
The Green Party will be supporting the anti M3 march planned in Navan for 4th. November by www.savetaravalley.com. We do not want those who follow us to be disgusted at the destruction of heritage that a motorway will bring, not to mention the short-termism of creating fortunes for construction companies and developers.
Brian Flanagan.
(Brian Flanagan is the Green Party candidate for Meath West in the forthcoming General Election in 2007.)
© The Meath Chronical, 28th October 2006.