EU Parliament Delegation to visit Carrickmines Castle

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday April 02, 2003 18:55 by redjade

European Parliament Delegation to visit Carrickmines Castle

CARRICKMINDERS PRESS RELEASE

http://CarrickminesCastle.org

2 APRIL 2003

“European Parliament Delegation to visit Carrickmines Castle”

A delegation from the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee, investigating a complaint about Irish government’s alleged illegal use of road-building funds, will visit Carrickmines Castle site tomorrow, Thursday April 3 at 4.00 PM. On Friday they will raise the issue with Minister for Transport, Seámus Brennan, when they meet him regarding the Taxi deregulation issue

Carrickminders will be unable to accompany the delegation to the site due to the fact that they gave undertakings in the High Court not to trespass there. The delegation, led by Proinsias De Rossa, MEP will include: Felipe Camison, MEP Christan Democrats, Spain; Margot Kessler, MEP Socialist Party, Germany; and David Lowe, Official from European Parliament Petitions Committee. Joining them will be medieval historians Dr Seán Duffy, Trinity College and Mr Kenneth Nichols of University College Cork.

The original complaint was made to the Parliament by Proinsias De Rossa and Friends of the Irish Environment, both of whom have worked very closely with Carrickminders. The adequacy of the 1997 Environmental Impact Study was questioned, in light of the mounting evidence to show that it was not performed properly. In a recent submission Proinsias De Rossa included a copy of a letter Carrickminders had acquired under FOI which shows that the National Monuments Service had raised concerns in July 1997 about the inadequacy of the draft Environmental Impact Study, pointing out that (quote) 'We presume that full descriptions of archaeological sites will be included in the completed EIS documentation. Other statutory bodies and the public would need such information for evaluation'. The EIS was subsequently published without the full descriptions documents referred to in that letter.

“Having given undertakings in the High Court Carrickminders are campaigning vigorously off-site, while the litigation of Dominick Dunne and Gordon Lucas continues. After the Supreme Court injunction, preventing destruction of the National Monument without the consent of the Minister for the Environment, Martin Cullen, we are working in the political arena to gather opposition to such consent, which must be placed before the Oireachtas, before it is effective. We will be opposing efforts by Seamus Brennan, announced yesterday, to shorten the road-planning process, if it entails removal of protections to heritage.

“Archaeology is a delicate non-renewable resource. Carrickminders have been protesting the European-sponsored destruction of Irish heritage in recent years. The massive financial investment has stretched the system to the limits, and both Irish and European law are not being properly enforced. In fact, European protections feel more like gums than teeth. If the complaints to the Parliament are successful, the National Roads Authority could lose 75 million Euro appropriated to the South Eastern Motorway, which will force the government to act more responsibly in the future.

Contact:

Vincent Salafia, Spokesman
(087) 132-3365 [email protected]

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