Letter to Minister John Gormley
from Marcin Libicki,
Chairman of the Committee on Petitions,
EU.
Brussels, DL/JG[02-COM.PETI(2007)D/47790]
Mr. John Gormley,
Minister of Environment,
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local
Government,
Custom House,
Dublin 1,
Ireland.
Dear Minister,
I very much appreciated your willingness to meet with me
and other members of the Petitions Committee delegation
when we visited Ireland at the end of June, shortly after
your appointment. As you will recall issues related to
the environment figured very highly on our agenda as a
result of petitions received from Irish citizens related
to problems with water, waste and, last but not least,
the environmental impact of certain large infrastructure
projects.
The report of our visit is still in preparation and will
be first discussed at the meeting of the Petitions
Committee on September 13th. and representatives from
your department, or from the Permanent Representation in
Brussels, will be most welcome to attend and
participate.
However, at yesterday's meeting of the Committee several
members voiced concerns about recent developments related
to the M3 project at Tara and Lismullin and the Skryne
Valley. Without anticipating too much on the broader
findings resulting from our visit to the site I would
like to impress upon you the extreme concern which is
felt by the Committee regarding the serious damage to
these sites of great archaeological and historical value
and significance. The Committee has urged me to write to
you, and also to Commissioner Dimas, in order to ensure
that the Irish authorities responsible for the M3 project
fully respect their obligations under EU law, notably as
regards respect for the Directive on Environmental Impact
Assessment ((85/337/EC) for which an Article 226
procedure is open, and a Reasoned Opinion issued on the
grounds that Ireland's National Monuments Act 2004 does
not allow for additional EIAs in the event of new factors
coming to light. Lismullin is cited as an example of this
I believe.
Many members, including myself, share the view that in
the light of the discovery of previously unrecorded, yet
vitally important archaeology on the current route at
Lismullin and nearby, urgent action is needed to halt
existing works in this area and to review the routing of
this section of the M3 motorway.
I am very much aware of the fact that there are many
complex factors to be taken account of in ordering a
review but I trust the outcome will be a decision which
complies with Ireland's obligations under EU law and
which respects and protects a most important feature of
Europe's common heritage.
Yours faithfully,
Marcin Libicki,
Chairman of the Committee on Petitions.
