Press Release - 5th. November 2007.

Material Change in Circumstances Permits Gormley
- to Fully Protect Lismullin National Monument

MASTER Plan Provides Minister with Mechanism to Preserve Lismullin; Expands Role of Lismullin Committee to Oversee Development of Tara-Skryne Valley with Public Participation

IN another breakthrough in the Tara/M3 motorway issue, the drafters of the Meath MASTER Plan have today revealed that it provides Minister for the Environment John Gormley with the means to permanently preserve and protect the National Monument at Lismullin, whilst providing a state-of-the-art transport network for Meath.

The MASTER Plan - standing for Model Archaeological Sustainable and Economic Region - is an advanced development plan that solves the current legal issues around the controversial M3 motorway, preserves the Tara Landscape, provides much-needed bypasses of Dunshaughlin and Navan, cuts Co2 emissions and avoids any re-routing. The transport elements of the plan alone have been estimated to generate environmental benefits of at least € 114 million per annum.

Independent transport researcher Brian Guckian and environmental campaigner Tadhg Crowley, who drafted the Plan, said that it provided the Minister with the necessary change in material circumstances required to reverse the controversial Order to preserve-by-record the National Monument at Lismullin and to put its protection on a permanent footing. The key change in circumstances provided by the Plan is the dropping of the Roestown - Cannistown section of the M3 and its replacement by the toll-free 2+1 format on the parallel N3, made possible by cuts in traffic volumes brought about by the Plan's usage of the Navan/Kells Rail Link and increased coach services in the Kells - Navan - Dublin corridor.

The MASTER Plan also provides for expansion and enhancement of the work of the expert Committee on Lismullin established by Minister Gormley.

The Expert Committee's remit would be broadened to oversee the implementation of the Landscape Conservation Area proposed by the Minister. Its implementation would include the Tara-Skryne Valley in an application for UNESCO World Heritage Site status. The Committee would also oversee the management and development of the wider Meath World Heritage Park area for sustainable tourism, ecological and heritage education and would include the participation of the local public.

The land within the Tara-Skryne Valley currently intended for the M3 would be held in state ownership and designated for heritage interpretation and protection. The extent of the World Heritage Park would include the five major centres of Navan, Kells, Trim, Dunshaughlin and Slane, bringing a major tourist and economic dividend for the region.

Mr. Guckian and Mr. Crowley have welcomed broad support to date for the Plan and have met with public representatives, as well as having had dialogue with the Department of Transport. They said they were still working to secure a meeting with Minister Gormley and noted that surprise had been expressed that it had been Minister Noel Dempsey who had shown initiative on the Plan ahead of Minister Gormley.

The MASTER Plan has been circulated to most government Ministers as it covers several different administrative portfolios, as well as to the Taoiseach. It has also been sent to Meath County Council and is available to the public online.

ENDS

Further Information from: Tadhg Crowley 085 7159013
Email: tadhgcrowley@gmail.com