Press Release. Campaign to Save Tara,
7th. June 2007, 24:00.

CtST urges Green Party to adopt measures
- regarding Tara and the M3

The Campaign to Save Tara is today urging the Green Party to adopt a number of specific measures in regard to the Tara/M3 controversy. These specific concerns must be addressed in order for the Campaign to support any Programme for Government emerging from the ongoing negotiations with Fianna Fáil.

In addition to an immediate moratorium on all work, archaeological and construction, within the Tara/Skryne Valley, pending a review based on existing heritage legislation, the Campaign argue that more robust heritage legislation would have avoided the Tara debacle. The rebalancing, in favour of infrastructure, that the 2004 legislation was intended to achieve, has gone way too far and in fact removed all meaningful and independent heritage protection in the country.

The National Monuments (Amendment) Act 2004, which in effect, allows the Minister to override the protective provisions of pre-existing National Monuments legislation needs to be re-examined. In addition, the situation whereby it is employees of the NRA who designate or otherwise archaeological finds as "National Monuments" must be ended and independence restored to such assessments.

While nobody outside of Government and the NRA has been provided with an actual copy of the M3 Public Private Partnership contract, despite requests from a number of heritage protection organisations, it is widely accepted that provision is made for significant archaeological discoveries. As far back as 2002, NRA and Meath County Council sources were alluding to an alternative should "a showstopper" be discovered along the proposed route.

"While the PPP contract obviously has a bearing on how the issue will be resolved, insofar as negotiations must be entered into with the franchisees of the tolled motorway, the contract itself is not the central issue. A National Monument has been discovered and existing legislation provides for a re-route of this road - what is necessary is the political will to do so", according to Michael Canney of the Campaign.

Dr. Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin said, "Our information is that internal discussions took place over a number of significant archaeological sites along the proposed route. The trouble is that these discussions took place between NRA employees, not objective independent experts. Had these other sites in the Valley been subject to independent assessment they would have also been designated as National Monuments. This ridiculous and shameful situation must end".

ENDS

Media queries:
Dr. Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin
Tel: 087-9249510
Michael Canney
Tel: 086-8528200
E-Mail: info@savetara.com
Web site: http://www.savetara.com

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