Tara Watch

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Hill of Tara / M3 Motorway - Activists Site
10.29.08Tara M3 questions to political parties - The Irish TimesPosted in News at 9:31 am by Vincent



Tara M3 questions to political parties

The Irish Times- 29 October 2008

TaraWatch has sent questionnaires to the political parties in advance of next year’s local and European elections asking them to outline their positions on the controversial M3 upgrading.

The parties are asked 10 questions, in particular whether they support the current route of the M3 or a route farther away from the Hill of Tara.

TaraWatch spokesman Vincent Salafia said it is considering fielding candidates if the response from the political parties is not sufficient.

PRE-ELECTION QUESTIONNAIRE

Please return answers to TaraWatch, Suite 108, Mary’s Abbey, D.7, or mail them to info@tarawatch.org, by Tue 4 November.

1. Do you agree that the M3 motorway being built through the Hill of Tara archaeological complex is damaging a site of national and international importance?

2. Do you agree that the M3 Public Private Partnership (PPP) contract is a bad deal for Irish taxpayers, as it will see the lions share of revenue go to a multi-national company, for the next 45 years?

3. Do you agree it is necessary to build four motorways going through County Meath, from the M50?

4. Do you agree that the approximately 16 billion euros over spend by the National Roads Authority on the roads programme in the National Development Plan (NDP), between 2000-2008, is the biggest waste of taxpayers money in the history of the State, that must be
investigated?

5. Do you agree with the European Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the NDP should be subjected to Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), before any more money is spent on it. If so, will you commission an SEA of the NDP, before allowing any
projects that are likely to have a significant effect on the environment, to proceed further?

6. Do you agree that a new cost-benefit analysis of Transport 21, and every single project within it, should take place before any further money is allocated?

7. Do you agree that reducing climate change gasses, due to transport, is a moral and economic imperative that must be addressed immediately?

8. Do you agree that alternatives to the current transport plan for Meath and Dublin need to be re-examined, in order to design more efficient alternatives?

9. Do you agree that the M3 should be re-routed, or cancelled, before Tara is made a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

10. If you enter Government will you ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption, which Michael McDowell promised, but failed to do?

11. If you enter Government, after the next Election, will you seek to have the M3 altered, in order to protect the Hill of Tara?

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10.26.08Tara Features in New Book on Endangered Sites - ‘500 Places to See Before They Disappear’Posted in News at 5:03 pm by Vincent


Photograph: The Irish Image Collection/Corbis

THE STAR: Last Chance Saloon for ‘Dying’ Landmarks - Threatened Sites Highlighted

Tara Features in New Book on Endangered Sites - ‘500 Places to See Before They Disappear’

The Hill of Tara features in a new book entitled ‘500 Places to See Before They Disappear‘, published October 20 by Frommers, and written by Holly Hughes. This is further evidence of how negatively the international community still views the M3 motorway works. Tara is currently on the 100 Most Endangered Sites List published by the World Monuments Fund in 2008, and will remain on the watch list until 2010. The entry in the Hughes book for Tara reads, in part: “Hill of Tara, Co Meath, Ireland: The ancient seat of Ireland’s high kings is threatened by the proposed M3 highway which runs close by and is due to open in 2010″ The Frommers web site catalogue reads as follows:

“500 Places to See Before They Disappear enables passionate travelers and the eco-conscious to learn about and plan a visit to see rare cultural, historic, and natural places before they are irrevocably altered or even gone forever. Here are one-of-a-kind landscapes, fragile ecosystems, rare bird habitats, places to see the last remaining species of big game in the wild, cityscapes in peril, vanishing cultural kitsch, petroglyphs, and more—500 thoughtfully- chosen treasures that will inspire and enlighten travellers of all ages. Each entry explains why it’s been included, gives its history, the nature of the threat against it, brief practical information on how to visit, and what visitors can to do protect it. A Geographical Index allows travellers to locate attractions across the world.”



The Hill of Tara -Going to ruins

500 Places to See Before They Disappear, by Holly Hughes, published October 20 2008 by Frommers. (p.247)

Ireland is a nation of story tellers where seemingly every mossy stone and country crossroad has a tale spun about it. But even so, there’s no disputing the legendary significance of the Hill of Tara, traditional seat of the high kings of Ireland. No wonder plans to run a new superhighway past it has generated storms of outrage.

On first glance, Tara today doesn’t look like much – a 90m (300 ft) hill dotted with grassy mounds, some ancient pillar stones, and depressions that show where the Iron Age ringfort, Raith na Riogh, encircled the brow of the hill. But audiovisuals at the visitor center deconstruct just what these mounds represent, as if peeling away the centuries from this time-harrowed ridge. Prominent on the hilltop are the ring-barrow called Teach Cormaic (Cormac’s House) and the Forradh, or Royal Seat, with a granite coronation stone known as the Lia Fail (Stone of Destiny), standing erect at its center. The trenches of three other smaller ringforts are nearby, as well as an excavated passage tomb just to the north, the astronomically aligned Mound of the Hostages, which dates to 2000 BC.

The wood timbers of the old royal halls rotted a long time ago; the last great feis – triennial banquet of princes, poets, priests, and politicians – was held in A.D. 560, after which the rise of Christianity forced ancient Celtic traditions into hiding. But Tara was always more than just one hill – it was the epicentre of Ireland’s foremost kingdom and several other important pre-historic sites are in the same valley. From the Hill of Tara, in the distance you can spot the great burial mound of Newgrange and the Hill of Slane, where Saint Patrick readies himself to take on the Irish pagans – which, of course, he needed to do at Tara, Ireland’s symbolic heart.

The N3 highway, heading northeast out of Dublin towards the town of Kells, already ran close enough to Tara to shake its foundations; now a larger limited-access motorway, the M3, is being built even closer, with a major interchange right near the sacred hill. During construction, a number of megalithic souterrains – underground buildings – some dating from the 7th century, have been bulldozed, probably the homes of important nobles and courtiers living near the kings fort. When a 2000 year old henge named Lismullin, with Megalithic decorations on its stone, was unearthed in March 2007, construction was temporarily halted – but work proceeds on other sections of the road, despite vociferous citizen protests. Alternative routes have been proposed, but to no avail. The ghosts of the high kings must be weeping.

In an effort to stop or at least slow the destruction of the Hill of Tara, conservationists and Government supporters are working to make the Hill of Tara a World Heritage Site. This would help preserve the Gabhra Valley between the Hill of Tara and the Hill of Skryne, and protect the surrounding landscape by preventing commercial development along the path of the new motorway.

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10.15.08Finfacts - Irish Budget 2009 Analysis: Lenihan’s “call to patriotic action”Posted in News at 8:56 am by Vincent



Source: Davy Research

Irish Budget 2009 Analysis: Lenihan’s “call to patriotic action”

FINFACTS: By Michael Hennigan, Founder and Editor of Finfacts - Oct 15, 2008 - 7:26:39 AM

Irish Budget 2009 Analysis: Minister for Finance Brain Lenihan said in his speech Tuesday on the Budget, that “it’s a call to patriotic action.” Apart from evoking Samuel Johnson’s most famous quotation: “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel,” while incompetence is not incompatible with patriotism, it’s rich indeed to be lectured about such noble values, by people who used short-term political interest to the detriment of the economy and many thousands of people. The fallout from the toxic cocktail of self-interest, incompetence, negligence and laziness, has been covered in another article this week. Click for Finfacts Main Budget 2009 Page


Before moving onto economic analysis, it’s interesting to observe how the Green Party has so seamlessly filled the impotent shoes of the near-defunct PDs. Like so-called “independents” who sell their votes for time security and some baubles to impress constituents, small niche parties, such as the Green Party in its present role, have zero impact on most areas of policy but the priority is to have some crumbs to offer supporters and copperfasten the self-interest of the leadership. So Green Party leader John Gormley has highlighted what he called “Green Party gains” including: a substantially increased budget for water services; new funding for home energy efficiency and warmer homes scheme; increases in petrol prices; the bicycle initiative; and an increase in motor taxes. The introduction of the €200 annual charge on second properties, was described by Gormley as a “watershed moment” in local government funding. Watershed or not, Fianna Fáil will always be happy for their support as long as they stick to “saving the planet” but who saves Ireland?

Environmental group Tarawatch, says spending on the roads programme is inefficient, because the overspends by the National Roads Authority have already reached €16 billion and there is no indication that it is slowing. Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said:”Continuing the roads programme at this rate, while reducing spending on public transport, is the height of fiscal irresponsibility, given the current economic climate. “It is clear the Green party have had zero impact on Government policy, with no –reallocation of funds from roads to public transport, and no significant carbon emission reduction programme whatsoever.
“We will update our complaint to the Comptroller and Auditor General, seeking a review of spending on the roads programme, before funding is allocated, in the wake of the E16 billion overspend by the NRA.”

The views of 3 economists (below):

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10.13.08Irish examiner: TaraWatch asks auditor general to probe €16bn NRA overspendPosted in Corruption Watch, News, Tolls, Transport at 2:19 pm by Vincent



TaraWatch asks auditor general to probe €16bn NRA overspend

Irish examiner - Monday, October 13, 2008 - By Eoin English
ACTIVISTS will accuse the State’s roads building body today of a staggering €16 billion overspend — more than the spiralling national debt. TaraWatch, the group fighting the building of the M3 motorway at the Hill of Tara, will also call for a halt on future road projects. It said it will lodge its complaint against the National Roads Authority (NRA) with the State’s spending watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), accusing it of rampant overspending since 2000.

“The C&AG has primary responsibility for ensuring value for money in public spending,” TaraWatch spokesman Vincent Salafia said. “It should not allow one penny to be spent until there has been cost-benefit analysis and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) on every single road plan. “It is illegal and disgraceful for the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) to now negotiate more cost-plus, rather than fixed-price contracts, and a continuation of business as usual. “The NRA didn’t even have an accountant in their office until 2004. They have gotten away with murder, as have the construction companies that hauled off truckloads of taxpayers’ money.” He said TaraWatch wants the C&AG to freeze all public spending on NRA projects under the National Development Plan, until a cost-benefit analysis has been carried out.

The C&AG has expressed concerns about the spending controls on roads projects. In 2002 the NRA was summoned before the Public Accounts Committee to explain a massive €6.6bn overrun. By 2004, the overrun had gone up to €10bn. TaraWatch said an engineers report it commissioned, and submitted to the Department of Finance on Friday, shows how the M3 motorway will cost the taxpayer an extra €1.8bn, and will be responsible for €320 million in emissions penalties. The NRA was unavailable for comment yesterday.

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10.11.08Pre-Budgetary Submission to Dept of Finance - M3 motorway will lose moneyPosted in News at 2:03 pm by Vincent



Download TaraWatch Pre-Budgetary Submission

Dowload TaraWatch financial analysis of M3 motorway

M3 motorway will lose money, says TaraWatch

Irish examiner - Breaking News - 10 October 2008

The proposed M3 motorway will lose money, according to a financial analysis included today in TaraWatch’s pre-Budgetary submission. The primary conclusion is there is a need for Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the National Development Plan (NDP), before any spending decisions are made on Transport 21. These conclusions are supported by the EPA Report on the Irish Environment, released on Wed October 8, which calls for SEA analysis of the NDP. The submission also details legal cases being taken against the Irish Government, by the European Commission and in the Supreme Court, regarding alleged breaches of SEA law.

The M3 Motorway PPP contractor, Ferrovial, is also examined in detail. A financial analysis of the M3 motorway, performed by a licensed engineer, Rodney Aldrich, claimed that the M3 motorway will be a losing proposition for taxpayers in collecting toll revenues, based on the NRA traffic projections, in order to cover construction and operating costs. Aldrich concluded that: “The tolls will fall short by a total of 1.165bn euro in repaying a 45-year financing.” Mr Aldrich concluded: “If a rail link supplements improvements to the current N3, the possibility exists to avoid 180,000,000 euro in excess carbon emissions penalties that might very well result if the M3 is completed. “The Department of Finance should perform a fresh cost-benefit analysis, and investigate all real and shadow costs associated with the M3 before funding it any further.

Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said: “The National Development Plan, and the M3 motorway, are losing propositions for the Irish taxpayer. “Even a cursory analysis of the PPP numbers shows that the M3, and the NDP, are examples of ‘cowboy economics’, and the figures simply don’t add up.” “The recent EPA Report on the State of the Irish Environment 2008 supports our findings, by calling for cost-benefit analysis and Strategic Environmental Assessment of the NDP.”

Related stories

Irish independent - Principals in plea to spare schools from ‘disastrous’ cuts (6 Oct)

BreakingNews.ie - M3 motorway will lose money, says TaraWatch

Ireland Online - M3 motorway will lost money, says TaraWatch

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10.07.08TORONTO STAR: Celtic Tiger threatens ‘very soul of historic Ireland’Posted in News at 2:27 pm by Vincent



Archaeology Magazine - News Headlines: “Here’s a summary of what preservationists have tried to do to save Ireland’s Hill of Tara from highway construction. Their new argument suggests that the downturn in the country’s economy requires Ireland to save its historic resources as tourist destinations.”

Celtic Tiger threatens ‘very soul of historic Ireland’
MITCH POTTER - TORONTO STAR Europe Bureau - Oct 07, 2008

HILL OF TARA, Ireland–It is a battle worthy of the old Irish legends, pitting history against modernity. But as a controversial highway creeps ever closer to the spiritual home of the early Celtic kings, it now appears both sides may lose. For advocates of the twin ribbons of asphalt called the M3 now under construction north of the Irish capital, there is no choice but to live pragmatically with the roar of a commuter corridor in the shadow of the sacred Hill of Tara, because getting to nearby Dublin is a nightmare without it. For opponents, the new toll highway is the most painful example of the Celtic Tiger’s propensity for gnawing through all obstacles – up to and including “the very soul of historic Ireland” – in the pursuit of the almighty euro. Worse, they say, the highway is arriving just as the economy curls up into what many expect will be a deep slumber, worn ragged by a broken property bubble and the global credit squeeze.

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10.01.08EU Speak out on TaraPosted in News at 9:22 am by Vincent



Irish Examiner - Open letter to the Irish Government from MEPS - January 2008

EU Speak out on Tara

South Meath Post 30-9-08 by Evan Short

Tarawatch anti M3 protesters claimed last week to have been backed by the EU in their continuing campaign against the motorway.According to Vincent Salafia, the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament has expressed its “ongoing concern” regarding the impact of the M3 on the Hill of Tara archaeological complex and the demolition of the Lismullin National Monument. In its annual activity report from 2007 released last Wednesday, the Committee commented specifically on the absence of any assesment in advance of a 2007 decision to remove a national monument situated at Lismullin in the path of the M3 Motorway project near Tara in County Meath. The Lismullin Henge, described by the American Archaeological Journal as one of its most signiicant finds of 2007, was removed in January to permit the M3 to go ahead.

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09.26.08Alternative proposals for M3 motorway soughtPosted in News at 12:16 pm by Vincent



Now that Ireland is in recession, and the National Development Plan, which funds the M3 motorway, is going to be slashed, TaraWatch is seeking proposals and analysis for alternatives to the current plan to complete four motorways, through County Meath, including the M3 motorway through the Hill of Tara.Over the years, a number of proposals have been put forward by local residents and campaigners, including:

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09.12.08‘M3 Misinformation Designed to Improperly Influence Budgetary Spending on Roads’Posted in News, Transport at 12:41 pm by Vincent



PRESS RELEASE -TARAWATCH.org -12 September 2008

‘M3 Misinformation Designed to Improperly Influence Budgetary Spending on Roads’

TaraWatch refutes claims made in The Irish Times and the The Evening Herald today about the M3 motorway, that the M3 motorway is far ahead of schedule, and accuses the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, of wasting more taxpayers’s money on Transport 21 propaganda. The Irish Times quoted a “well-placed source close to the project”, who said it was going “exceptionally well”. The un-named source “estimated that building works are at least 10 months ahead of schedule.” and would “open to traffic in advance of the official completion date of June 2010.” The claim is false, as the M3 is actually behind schedule, after delays due to the discovery of new archaeological sites, financial difficulties with contractors and court challenges. The estimated date of opening, found on the SIAC-Ferrovial contractors’ web site is 2011. It states: “M3 Motorway between Clonee and Kells: Contract is due to commence in the Spring 2007 and the contract duration will be approximately 4 years.”

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Irish Times: Controversial M3 motorway through Tara may open earlyPosted in News at 12:26 am by Vincent



Meath Chronicle - ‘No delay’ to M3 despite difficulties

Evening Herald -’Motorway a year ahead of schedule despite Tara row’

Controversial M3 motorway through Tara may open early

The Irish Times - Friday, September 12, 2008

ELAINE KEOGH

THE CONTROVERSIAL M3 motorway is understood to be nearly a year ahead of schedule and it is hoped it may open to traffic in advance of the official completion date of June 2010. The progress on the project has been welcomed by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey, who is a TD for Co Meath. However environmental group TaraWatch has repeated its call for the scheme to be cancelled and a heritage trail to be created, which, it said, would bring more benefit to the county. The motorway passes through the rich archaeological landscape of the Tara-Skryne valley. Last year a national monument was discovered in the middle of one of the lanes of the motorway itself.

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‘Truth on Tara was buried deep due to culture of lies’ - Mail on Sunday
Action brought by EU Commission v Ireland over Tara
An Bord Pleanala - Inspectors Report on Lismullin
Archaeological Method and Theory and the M3
Brendan Myers, Dept. Philosophy, NUI Galway: On Tara
Contact us
Directions by Minister Roche for Lismullin Henge
Historical books and articles about the Hill of Tara
International News Stories
Irish Times: Is nothing sacred?
Jonathan Rhys Meyers speaks out against M3 motorway (video)
M3 motorway will lost money - Pre-Budgetary Submission
Memorial to 1798 Battle of Tara Hill
Minister Gormley Q and A on Tara
NRA Report on New Discovery in Lismullen
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