Statement. Campaign to Save Tara,
27th. June 2007.

EU Petitions Committee visit Tara and Lismullin

On Wednesday 27th. June the EU Petitions Committee visited Tara and the new National Monument at Lismullin in Co. Meath to view the proposed route of the M3 motorway that has caused such huge controversy in Ireland and abroad.

The delegation was led by the Polish MEP Marcin Libicki and other visitors included members from England and Rumania as well as the Irish MEPs Kathy Sinnott, Vice-chair of the committee, Mairead McGuinness and Proinsias de Rossa.

The committee met two of those who had sent petitions to them - Brian Guckian an independent transport researcher and Julitta Clancy of the Meath Archaeological and Historical Society who has been active in the campaign against the chosen route for many years. Both made presentations to the committee chairman on the Hill. Members of the NRA and their archaeologists were also present.

The committee also met members of the Campaign to Save Tara and the archaeologist Conor Newman, world expert on Tara and chairman of the committee named by the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, to examine the new National Monument at Lismullin.

A number of petitions have been lodged with the EU citing breaches of EU Directives in relation to this project. The members were given briefing documents by the Campaign to Save Tara on the importance of Tara's Gabhra Valley.

Brian Guckian said: "My petition to the committee is based on the fact that the planning process ignored other transport options when deciding on the motorway in breach of the EU Directive on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The rail option was never properly considered and other alternatives can still be applied. We must seek EU intervention to save the Gabhra Valley given that our own Government and Taoiseach have failed to acknowledge its significance and have in fact been undermining our membership of the EU through our negligent treatment of our environment, heritage and culture".

Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin said: "We appreciate that John Gormley is taking an interest in Tara and now that he has a ministerial position we expect that he will take a very pro-active role. It is hoped that the EU petitions committee who visited the National Monument of Lismullin, support the view that the whole Valley is an archaeological complex of inter-related sites and should never have been chosen for the location of a motorway".

Julitta Clancy on behalf of MAHS said: "I have outlined to the committee the whole history of the project for Meath. Six major routes were put forward by Meath County Council at the route consultation stage, five went through Tara's landscape and only one was recommended by their own archaeologist - this was never investigated. I questioned the integrity of the planning process and the absence of a meaningful public participation as laid down by EU Directives on Environmental Impact Assessment".

Julitta Clancy also referred to the pioneering work of the Discovery Programme that clearly identified the unique cultural landscape of Tara's Gabhra Valley and thanked the committee for taking the time to hear petitions and pointed out that the road can be progressed as planned and that this short section must now be reconsidered by a committee of experts.

ENDS

Media queries:
Dr. Muireann Ní Bhrolcháin
Tel: 087-9249510
E-Mail: info@savetara.com
http://www.savetara.com

Related Articles:
MAHS Petition to the EU
Brian Guckian's Petition to the EU
EU Petitions Committee sees proof of Ireland's humiliating environmental record.