Government warned over motorway plans

A group protesting against a new M3 motorway route close to the Hill of Tara today told the Government to go back to the drawing board or risk 10 years of court battles.

Representatives of the Tara Skryne Valley Group addressed the Oireachtas Environment Committee in Leinster House this afternoon and handed in 3,000 public submissions against the project.

Group spokesman Vincent Salafia said: “It would be quicker to go back to the drawing board and take a route that does not harm Tara.

“Litigation could take years to complete, which will delay the completion of the motorway indefinitely.

“Realistically, completion of the motorway, under the current plan, cannot occur until at least 2015.”

Mr Salafia said that Bord Pleanala had approved the route before the controversial National Monuments Act was brought to Government and new archaeological sites were discovered.

He pointed out that Environment Minister Dick Roche had a constitutional duty to protect the heritage of the Irish people.

He added: “Nothing justifies this raiding of Ireland’s crown jewel.

“To do so would be, without doubt, a resigning matter, if there were such a thing in this country.”

Environment committee chairman, Sean Haughey, TD said in November that routing a motorway through the valley was “bordering on vandalism”.

Committee members recently visited the proposed motorway site in Co Meath.