Cllr and TD at loggerheads over Duleek motorway plan

Meath East Fianna Fail TD Thomas Byrne has been taken to task by a Duleek councillor and his partner over his claims that the village's residents have nothing to fear from the proposed Leinster Orbital Route motorway, which is in the early stages of planning. The TD said he had been contacted by residents of the village who were "fearful" that the proposed motorway was going to result in houses in the village being knocked down. "The rumours circulating are quite simply untrue," he said, adding that the NRA had told him that, given the current economic situation, the motorway would not be developed for planning purposes. "This means that a preferred route cannot even be identified at this time," he added. All that had happened so far, Deputy Byrne said, was that the route was proposed in 2007 as part of a feasability study from a policy, economic, engineering and environmental perspective. The only action that had taken place since was that the council had been asked by the NRA to mark off a swathe of rural land to prevent development in order to keep all possible routes free. "No action that affects the village of Duleek has been taken or will be taken," he added. However, independent Meath County Councillor Seamus O'Neill and his partner, Sharon Keogan, a member of the Fianna Fail national executive, has hit back at the east Meath TD, saying that it would be rare if residents were not worried about a major motorway driving right through their village, The Commons, and the High Meadow Estate. Cllr O'Neill said: "Currently, the route also cuts through Irish Cement, Indaver and the new proposed power plant. This is grossly intrusive, environmentally scandalous and totally unacceptable." Ms Keogan took issue with Deputy Byrne's claim that no houses in the village would need to be knocked down. "This is simply not true. Perhaps Deputy Byrne needs to look at the plan to see that it does show the motorway going through the High Meadows estate and, yes, that would mean that certain houses would need to be knocked down," she said. She agreed with the deputy's comment that the motorway would be a great infrastructural addition to the area, "but not if they run it through your kitchen, and not if they destroy an area of conservation or an area of historical importance. Surely these are basic considerations of humanity and community." Cllr O'Neill also challenged Deputy Byrne's claim that the only action that had to be taken was that the council had been asked by the NRA to mark off rural land so as to keep all possible routes free. "That is simply untrue," the cllr said. "In November, the NRA briefed a full meeting of Meath County Council and made it quite clear what it is they wanted to do. The NRA have decided on one path only for the motorway through Duleek. Unlike other motorway developments, no second or third options were given. Yes, the NRA identified constraints but then chose to map the motorway through these rather than to avoid them." Ms Keogan asked that, rather than mark off swathes of rural land, it might be better to talk with the local community to see what was best for them, to see what was the most sensible route. Cllr O'Neill and Ms Keogan quoted Deputy Byrne as stating that the motorway would "undoubtedly have a huge impact on a small amount of large landowners" but said what mattered was the overall public interest and that no action that affected the village of Duleek had been taken, or would be taken. Cllr O'Neill said that despite the deputy's earlier comment that the residents had nothing to fear, he had finally admitted that the NRA development would have a huge impact on a small number of landowners. Cllr O'Neill added: "How can the NRA sterilise a 2km zone of private property without any consulting? Running a motorway through our village is not in the interests of the public. The NRA will build this motorway through here unless we, the people of Duleek, persuade them otherwise." Cllr O'Neill and Ms Keogan said they would be holding a public meeting in the village "to inform the residents and community about what is really happening in the village". Ms Keogan said she would lobby against the Fianna Fail party on the issue if it was not in the interests of all the people in the village, or if the route would have a negative impact on the area.