Sep 30 2008
TaraWatch refute claims about the M3 Motorway
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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:
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The source of the claim is unreliable because it is made by an undisclosed source, and the National Roads Authority has refused to confirm the truth of the claim.
The closing date for pre-Budgetary submissions is today, and one of the key issues is whether money will be taken away from roads or public transport, under Transport 21, and it is believed that the claim is being made in order to influence the Budget.
The M3 is behind schedule due to the following factors:
- In 2006, TaraWatch was accused of delaying the project, to the tune of 150 million euros, by the National Roads Authority, after Vincent Salafia took legal action. Other legal actions were subsequently taken by third parties, including An Taisce.
The European Commission also has a case pending against Ireland over the M3, and European Parliament’s Petitions Committee recently passed another motion, condemning the project, over demolition of the Lismullin National Monument.
- In 2007, a national monument was discovered at Lismullin, and work was halted, the very day after the sod-turning ceremony, performed in a secret location by Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen. Other previously undiscovered sites also brought works to a halt at various times.
- Also in 2007, demonstrators took direct action, and were accused of delaying the project, and Gardai partnered with private security firms arrested and charged demonstrators with various crimes.
- In 2008, Howley Engineering, one of the main sub-contractors on the project, went into liquidation. Last week, Willis Brothers, another sub-contractor, pulled out of the M3, amid rumoured claims they had not been paid by SISK-Ferrovial.
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said
Minister Dempsey spent a massive three million euros of taxpayer’s money on the media launch of Transport 21. This is obviously coming from that same propaganda machine.
Not long ago I was being accused of delaying the M3 to the tune of 150 million euros, and now all of a sudden we have these anonymous, unconfirmed claims it is miraculously way ahead of schedule.
This propaganda is being put out in response to recent demands by TaraWatch that a cost-benefit value for money assessment is performed on the roads programme, and the M3, before any more spending is authorised on roads, or taken away from public transport.
ENDS
Contact: Laura Grealish 087-972-8603 / Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365
