'M3 PPP Contract is a Reckless Act of Public Spending by NRA
TaraWatch, having received news that the National Roads Authority (NRA) signed the Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract for the M3 toll road with SIAC Ferrovial (trading as Eurolink Consortium) makes the following statement:
"Today will go down as one of the lowpoints in the long history and development of the Irish nation. Despite a Red C opinion poll in 2005 that two thirds of Irish people oppose the route of the M3 motorway through the heart of Ireland's most historic and treasured landscapes, the Hill of Tara, the Government yesterday signed the PPP contract for the M3 motorway.
Signing the contract to design, build, finance and operate a toll road through Tara is a reckless act of public spending, given the importance of Tara landscape, the the less environmentally damaging options available and the new EU restrictions on carbon emissions
Minister Dick Roche misled the public when he said yesterday that
"there are no outstanding issues of archaeology" . TaraWatch
understands that the Minister recently received solicitors' letters
from a third party, alleging cointinuing breaches of the National
Monuments Acts, and threatening legal action.
Archaeological excavations continue on the route, and there is clear evidence that the M3 has impacted the national monument of Rath Lugh, which is beyond the scope of the Minister's Directions. There is also evidence that new national monuments have been discovered, particularly the souterrain complex at Roestown, just north of Dunshaughlin. Under the National Monuments Act, all work in these areas should cease, and an assessment should be carried out.
We will continue to monitor the situation, and advance complaints to the following bodies:
- EU. A complaint is being prepared that not only the M3, but the
entire roads programme in the National Development Plan 2007-2013 is in breach of EU law because of lack public and expert consultation, failure to disclose the basis for the cost/benefit analysis, and likely detrimental effects on the Irish environment as well as the environment of other EU members, particularly in terms of carbon emissions.
- World Monuments Fund, New York. The Hill of Tara was nominated to World Monuments Fund - 100 Most Endangered Sites List in January 2007.
The nomination was endorsed by Dr Ron Hicks of Ball State University in Indiana, and supported by a statement signed by hundreds of academics worldwide.
- Coillte. A preliminary complaint was made to Coillte in January 2007, and is being followed up with a more comprehensive complaint regarding damage to the national monument at Rath Lugh, which is in Coillte care.
The complaint alleges that Coillte failed in their duty to protect the
national monument in their care, by not attending the public
consultation for the M3 and allowing part of the national monument to be CPOed and damaged by Meath County Council.
TaraWatch is requesting a copy of the PPP contract from the NRA, and will be reviewing it to determine if it is in compliance with EU
tendering rules. We also wish to know if it is a 'fixed price contract' and want to know why the contract price has increased from 600 to 900 million euros since the project was first proposed.
TaraWatch will also continue to hold public events, the first being
Saint Patrick's Day Poetry on Tara on March 17th, beginning at 5.00pm.
Vincent.
www.tarawatch.org
"Today will go down as one of the lowpoints in the long history and development of the Irish nation. Despite a Red C opinion poll in 2005 that two thirds of Irish people oppose the route of the M3 motorway through the heart of Ireland's most historic and treasured landscapes, the Hill of Tara, the Government yesterday signed the PPP contract for the M3 motorway.
Signing the contract to design, build, finance and operate a toll road through Tara is a reckless act of public spending, given the importance of Tara landscape, the the less environmentally damaging options available and the new EU restrictions on carbon emissions
Minister Dick Roche misled the public when he said yesterday that
"there are no outstanding issues of archaeology" . TaraWatch
understands that the Minister recently received solicitors' letters
from a third party, alleging cointinuing breaches of the National
Monuments Acts, and threatening legal action.
Archaeological excavations continue on the route, and there is clear evidence that the M3 has impacted the national monument of Rath Lugh, which is beyond the scope of the Minister's Directions. There is also evidence that new national monuments have been discovered, particularly the souterrain complex at Roestown, just north of Dunshaughlin. Under the National Monuments Act, all work in these areas should cease, and an assessment should be carried out.
We will continue to monitor the situation, and advance complaints to the following bodies:
- EU. A complaint is being prepared that not only the M3, but the
entire roads programme in the National Development Plan 2007-2013 is in breach of EU law because of lack public and expert consultation, failure to disclose the basis for the cost/benefit analysis, and likely detrimental effects on the Irish environment as well as the environment of other EU members, particularly in terms of carbon emissions.
- World Monuments Fund, New York. The Hill of Tara was nominated to World Monuments Fund - 100 Most Endangered Sites List in January 2007.
The nomination was endorsed by Dr Ron Hicks of Ball State University in Indiana, and supported by a statement signed by hundreds of academics worldwide.
- Coillte. A preliminary complaint was made to Coillte in January 2007, and is being followed up with a more comprehensive complaint regarding damage to the national monument at Rath Lugh, which is in Coillte care.
The complaint alleges that Coillte failed in their duty to protect the
national monument in their care, by not attending the public
consultation for the M3 and allowing part of the national monument to be CPOed and damaged by Meath County Council.
TaraWatch is requesting a copy of the PPP contract from the NRA, and will be reviewing it to determine if it is in compliance with EU
tendering rules. We also wish to know if it is a 'fixed price contract' and want to know why the contract price has increased from 600 to 900 million euros since the project was first proposed.
TaraWatch will also continue to hold public events, the first being
Saint Patrick's Day Poetry on Tara on March 17th, beginning at 5.00pm.
Vincent.
www.tarawatch.org
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