Road and rail projects dropped amid 'broken promises' claims

The government has been warned it will take the blame for any future tragedies on Slane Bridge, as it emerged that funding for the long-awaited Slane Bypass has not been included in the government's four-year capital spending programme. The grim prediction came from the Bypass Slane Committee as fury erupted across the county at the news that long-promised projects such as the bypass, the Navan rail link and the regional hospital for the north-east have been dropped from the coalition's medium-term capital investment programme. Meath's government TDs have came under attack since it emerged last week that funding has not been provided for any of the three projects, amid calls on them to explain why so many promises have been broken. Campaigners in Slane have warned the government that "to do nothing is to be complicit in the inevitable tragedies that will undoubtedly follow". The Bypass Slane Committee has urged the government to reconsider the decision. "There is a very real threat to the lives of every user of the N2 through our village and, as we have been assured that the government understands this threat, they have a moral responsibility to act," said spokesperson Michelle Power. However, Deputy Shane McEntee claimed there was no change in the status of the bypass and that he had been assured the project will continue to be brought through the land purchase stage, bringing it to 'shovel-ready' status. Cllr Wayne Harding said the news was a huge blow to the many people who had spent years campainging for the bypass on safety grounds. "The last government provided funding to get the project to a planning stage and had even included it in their four-year plan. It has disappeared from this plan despite promises right up until July that it would form part of the top five projects. At every protest in Slane village, the people of Slane have always warned that more lives will be lost," he said. Deputy Peadar Tóibín said people in Meath were furious with the spending cuts. "Meath has a higher population now than at anytime since the Famine and that population is still growing. The welfare of the people of Meath and its future competitiveness is now threatened by this government," he said. Senator Thomas Byrne has expressed his shock and anger. "The decision to not to proceed with the N2 Slane Bypass and the delivery of the train line to Navan from Dunboyne is both short-sighted and dangerous to our local economy and to the safety of road-users," he said. Cllr Shane Cassells said it was frightening to think that, despite having five government TDs out of six in Meath, the county will not figure in the national capital investment plans for the lifetime of this government. "There was a pot of money of nearly €2bn for health projects under this plan and another €1bn for public transport schemes, but we didn't make it on to the list when decisions by the Fine Gael/Labour power brokers were made. "People can dress it up whatever way they like, but the book is there in black and white and we are not in it. At the launch of the Navan rail line project under Transport 21 in 2005, Damien English cynically commented that the Boyne would flow backwards before a train would come to Navan. I guess he was right!" said Cllr Cassells. Deputy English pointed out that plans for the rail line have been delayed, not scrapped. He acknowledged the news was disappointing, but said he would ensure the project is completed.