Council and NRA distort EU
report
I WOULD like to suggest to the NRA and Meath County
Council that the report of the EU Petitions Committee is
not as they claim: an EU confirmation "that they have
behaved entirely properly throughout this process". They
are twisting the words to suit themselves.
The report points out that "routes to the west of the
main Tara site, running closer to the river Skane, for
example, do not seem to have been seriously considered by
the authorities". Also, "The delegation is perplexed by
the choice of route and by the damage done to the
integrity of the many sites in the Tara area. It is also
concerned as to why it has been deemed necessary to build
one of the largest M3 intersections at this most
vulnerable location in terms of Ireland's national
heritage.... This motivates a clear call by this
committee for a substantial review of the environmental
impact of the M3 and for less intrusive alternative
routes to be designated".
Further, it finds, "It is surprising there is no commuter
rail service between this area, Navan, and Dublin, and
that none is planned before 2015 at the earliest, a fact
which condemns and confirms an inevitable choice of
motorway construction". This is a clear breach of EU
guidelines on sustainable transport.
To construe from the report that the Petitions Committee
gave its blessing to the NRA and MCC process is
ludicrous. The committee is as critical with the
continued destruction of Tara as it is with the continued
dumping in Aughinish in Co. Limerick, the over quarrying
of Carrigtwohill in Co. Cork, the ongoing problems of
contaminated drinking water and many other issues.
Not only did the report not vindicate the NRA but it also
found fault with the new M8 and its re-diversion of
traffic through Watergrasshill, Co. Cork, and the lack of
rest stops nationally for truck drivers who must by law
stop and rest.
It is time to have a national transport authority rather
than a National Roads Authority.
Kathy Sinnott MEP,
Petitions Committee Vice President,
Ballinabearna,
Ballinhassig,
Co. Cork.
© The Irish Examiner, 11th. October 2007.
Related Articles:
Full Report of EU Petitions
Committee.
Roads body embraces M3 report.
