Concern grows as minister refuses meeting

A decision by Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar to decline to meet a delegation from Meath County Council to discuss the progression of the rail line from Pace to Navan was met with "astonishment" by councillors this week. The councillors accused the minister of trying to "evade" the issue and said that none of three previous ministers for transport - Seamus Brennan, Martin Cullen or Noel Dempsey - had any difficulty in holding meetings to discuss the issue. The council members had decided at a previous meeting to write to the minister asking for discussions on the rail project. However, his reply to the council this week was that he would not meet them pending a review of all capital projects in his department by September. Fianna Fail Cllr Shane Cassells hit out at the minister, saying the council had just spent the previous hour discussing economic strategy in Meath. "Nothing defines economic strategy in this county more than the development of the railway line to Navan," he said. On the minister's "refusal" to meet the council, he said: "I'm astonished." He accused the Mr Varadkar of "bluffing" by using an explanation that a review of capital projects was underway. The Fianna Fail councillor said that, in 2005, he and Cllr Brian Fitzgerald had led a cross-party delegation to then Minister Martin Cullen to discuss the Dublin-Navan rail line. "We knew then that a spending review was underway and that policy was being formed on Transport 21. We asked them to make sure we were included in the plan, and that happened within five years," he said. "Why Minister Cullen met us in 2005 but Minister Varadkar can't meet us in 2011 is beyond explanation," he added. Cathaoirleach Cllr Ann Dillon Gallagher said that councillors could not expect the minister to deal with the "totality" of the plan until the review of infrastructure projects had taken place. Cllr Noel Leonard said that while he was disappointed at the minister's reply, he asked everybody in the council chamber to get behind the rail project. However, Cllr Dillon Gallagher reminded him that the very first time the rail project had been mentioned in the council chamber, there was full support from everyone. Cllr Jimmy Fegan said he had personal knowledge that former Transport Minister Noel Dempsey had protected the rail project within his department. Cllr Joe Reilly said: "I'm not surprised the minister is not meeting us. It is because this line is not coming to Navan. The decision is made - that's why he doesn't want to meet us." Cllr John Farrelly told him: "You are wrong", to which the Sinn Fein cllr replied: "I hope I am wrong."