The press statement from CST, Kathy Sinnott MEP's press release and question
from Kathy Sinnott to the European Commission and their response

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STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE TARA

CAMPAIGN WELCOMES MORATORIUM CALL BY MEP KATHY SINNOTT

The Campaign to Save Tara welcomes the call by the Independent MEP Kathy
Sinnott for an "immediate moratorium on M3 construction”. We are calling
on Minister Gormley and the Government to listen to the EU and the
concerns expresses by Commissioner Stavros Dimas if they will not listen
to the people of Ireland.
The fact that the National Monument of Lismullin was not discovered by
the initial exploratory methods demonstrates that there may be other
monuments still undiscovered on the route.

The destruction of Baronstown under cover of darkness, just before
documents released by the Department of Environment showed that the
Director of the National Museum considered it a National Monument as
well, adds to the urgent need for such a moratorium. The National Roads
Authority, a development body, has assumed to itself the power to
designate a National Monument in Ireland and the advice of the Director
is being ignored.

The Campaign to Save Tara demands that the letter about the demolition
of newly discovered monuments from the EU Commission to Kathy Sinnott be
heeded and that this moratorium begins immediately. The Commission’s
letter applies to Baronstown as much as it does to Lismullin. We also
demand at this stage that the rest of the route between Dunshaughlin and
Navan be archaeologically examined by geophysical survey before it is
left to a bulldozer driver to discover the next National Monument that
may come to light in this highly sensitive area.
For verification ring Muireann Ni Bhrolchain 087-9249510

Please find below the press release from Kathy Sinnott as well as the
letter of response from the Commissioner in response to her question.
Also visit this photobucket that shows the sites mentioned and others
http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u167/muireanntemair/A%20selection%20of%20
photos/

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-Press Release-

Wednesday, 11 July 2007

Commission Sends Warning on Tara: All Work at Tara Must Stop!

In a speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg today, Kathy
Sinnott, Independent MEP for Ireland South, stated that the European
Commission has sent a warning to the National Roads Authority in Ireland
concerning the planned demolition of the Lismullin National Monument
near the Hill of Tara.

The site, which was just discovered in 2007, is due to be demolished as
part of the continued roadwork for the new M3. However, on 29 June,
2007, the Commission sent a Reasoned Opinion (final warning) to the NRA
expressing doubts about the Irish National Monuments Act. This Opinion
follows-up a warning sent to Ireland over concerns that the effects of
demolition works are excluded from the scope of their implementation of
the Environment Impact Assessments Directive, the results of which are
largely determining the direction of the M3.

The Commission does not expect to hear back from Irish officials for at
least two months. "Because of this, I am calling for an "immediate
moratorium on M3 construction. We cannot allow for the continued
destruction of our historic and cultural landmarks when multiple viable
alternatives exist for transport through this area," said Mrs. Sinnott.

"I believe this moratorium is necessary primarily to sort out the status
of the various archaeological projects in the area," added Kathy, who as
Vice Chairwoman of the European Parliament Petitions Committee recently
brought a delegation of the Committee to Ireland so they could witness
first hand the destruction of the Hill.

There is now an added urgency for the moratorium with the destruction of
a significant historical location near Baronstown at 4 am on 4 July.
This site was considered by many to be as worthy of National Monument
status as Lismullin, but the process of moving the Baronstown site
towards this status was delayed, and ultimately rendered moot by its
destruction.

“It is clear that the Commission’s letter must be heeded and all works
stopped until the legal status of the Irish National Monuments Act is
established.”

-ENDS-

For further information, questions, comments or interview, please
contact Kathy on: +353 87 2786 552 (mobile), +32 228 47692 (Brussels
office) or +353 21 4888 793 (Cork office)


Note to Editor
· Attached is the Question by Kathy Sinnott to the Commission and the
Commission's Answer, received yesterday

Question to the Commission regarding Tara asked by Kathy Sinnott MEP

The World Monument Fund has just included Tara in its list of the 100
Most Endangered Sites.

I would like to know the current position of the Commission in relation
to the road construction work in the area of the Hill of Tara, Co Meath,
Ireland, and the general issue of the proposed route for the M3.

Could you also please briefly sketch the history of the Commission's
position and its interaction with the Irish authorities?


Answer from the Commission 10th July 2007

The Commission is only in a position to intervene in a matter of this
kind if there is some procedural flaw.

The Commission received a significant number of complaints about the
environmental impact assessment (EIA) undertaken for the M3 motorway
project in 2003 but, based on the evidence received, was unable to
identify any such flaw up to and including the Planning Appeals Board
2003 decision.

However, in a quite separate case, the European Court of Justice has
recognised that decisions to approve projects may unfold in more than
one stage and that it may be inappropriate to limit the possibility of
EIA to an early stage as new circumstances and new factors may arise at
the time of a second-stage decision.

In June our attention was drawn to a new decision relating to the M3
project - namely the decision under the National Monuments Act, 2004 to
allow the demolition of the Lismullin national monument, which had been
discovered in 2007 and was unknown at the time of the original EIA. Our
attention was also drawn to the fact that the National Monuments Act
made no provision for the possible need for an EIA in respect of such a
decision.

As it happened, the Commission already had an infringement procedure
open against Ireland for excluding demolition works from the scope of
its implementation of the EIA Directive, 85/337/EEC on the assessment of
the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment.

On 29 June 2007, the Commission notified a Reasoned Opinion (final
warning) to Ireland in relation to the demolition issue. By way of
illustration of what the exclusion can mean in practice, the Reasoned
Opinion mentions Lismullin (which was not specifically mentioned
previously, as it only emerged as an issue in June of this year). It
also raises the issue of the compatibility of the National Monuments
Act, 2004 with the Directive and takes note of the World Monument Fund
listing that you mention.

When the EIA was undertaken for the M3 in 2003, the assessment was on
the basis that no national monument lay in the path of the road. The
discovery and identification of Lismullin as a national monument in 2007
represents a circumstance that was not - and could not - have been taken
into account at the time of the (first-stage) EIA. However, the National
Monuments Act, 2004 makes no provision for (second-stage) EIA in
relation to decisions allowing for destruction of national monuments
that were unknown at the time of a first-stage EIA.

A response is not expected for two months.

I hope that this clarifies the matter for you.