Tara Watch submits Media DVD on Tara to Government

by TaraWatch Fri May 11, 2007 12:14 info at tarawatch dot org

Call on Public to Make Submissions to Minister Roche

We are urging the public to make a submission of their own to the Minister, so that he cannot turn around and say 'I got 50 submissions to demolish it, and only 5 to preserve it intact', as Minister Cullen did with Carrickmines Castle.

In addition, making a submission entitles you to go to the High Court and seek judicial review of the decision of the Minister, should it appear to be illegal. TaraWatch is actively taking legal advice at the moment, in anticipation that the Minister will attempt to demolish the site.

The Minister is currently making a decision on how to deal with a newly discovered national monument at Lismullen, made during the course of an approved road development, that was not dealt with by the Environmental Impact Statement, nor the previous directions given by the Minister in 2005.

The previous directions are available at: http://www.hilloftara.info/docs/M3directions.rtf
In addition, the directions Minister Roche gave on the same day, for the reroute of the N25 away from the Viking site in Woodstown, are available at: http://www.hilloftara.info/docs/N25directions.rtf
Both of these sets of directions have been removed lately from the Department of Environment web site. A copy of Section 14 A of the National Monuments Act 2004 is reprinted below. Remember, we are asking him to preserve the site, under 14A(4)(d)(i).

The reason we say the Minister MUST preserve the site, in situ, is due to the national and international importance of the site. As the Minister for Heritage, Roche has a constitutional duty to give the highest level of statutory protection possible. The reason we are in this situation is due to the negligence of the NRA in failing to find the massive site before now. The heritage of Ireland should not be so massively diminished due to the negligent acts of the NRA. The Act specifically provides for this situation, and gives the Minister the power to do preserve the site.

The Minister also has a duty to use the precautionary priciple, under EU law. "European Union policy on the environment shall aim at a high level of protection taking into account the diversity of situations in the various regions of the Union. It shall be based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precautionary_principle

Note that many alternatives are available to the Minister and the NRA for rerouting the M3, or replacing it with a more sustainable solution to the transport problems in Cavan, Meath and Dublin.

Submissions can be a one page letter. Please state specifically that the mail is meant to be a submission to him, as he decides on the fate of the national monument. It would be better to email the submission to both the Ministers email addresses; minister@environ.ie and dick.roche@oireachtas.ie These are then in the system and can be retrieved by Freedom of Information. But be sure to send a hard copy to the Minister as well, to Dick Roche, TD. Minister for the Environment, Customs House, Dublin 2.

==

Section 14 A - National Monuments Act 2004

(4) Where a national monument has been discovered to which subsection (3) of this section relates, then—

(a) the road authority carrying out the road development shall report the discovery to the Minister,

(b) subject to subsection (7) of this section, and pending any directions by the Minister under paragraph (d) of this subsection, no works which would
interfere with the monument shall be carried out, except works urgently required to secure its preservation carried out in accordance with such measures as may be specified by the Minister,

(c) the consent of the Minister under section 14 of this Act and—
(i) any further consent under any other provision of the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2004, or
(ii) a licence under any provision of the National Monuments Acts
1930 to 2004 other than a licence under section 25 (as amended by the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994), is not required,

(d) the Minister may, at his discretion, issue directions to the road authority concerned for the doing to such monument of one or more of the following
matters:
(i) preserve it;
(ii) renovate or restore it;
(iii) excavate, dig, plough or otherwise disturb the ground within, around, or in proximity to it; which the national monument is situate as a result of the carrying out of the road development;
(iv) any matter of policy of the Government, of the Minister or of any other Minister of the Government;
(v) the need to collect or disseminate information on national monuments or in respect of heritage generally;
(vi) the cost implications (if any) that would, in the Minister’s opinion, occur from the issuing of a direction, or not issuing a direction, under subsection (4)(d) of this section.
(iv) make a record of it;
(v) demolish or remove it wholly or in part or to disfigure, deface, alter, or in any manner injure or interfere with it, and the road authority shall, except where section 14B(8)(a)(iii) of this Act applies, comply with such directions.

(5) (a) The Minister shall consult in writing with the Director of the National Museum of Ireland before issuing directions under subsection (4)(d) of this section.
(b) The period for consultation under paragraph (a) of this subsection shall not be more than 14 days from the day the consultative process was commenced by the Minister or such other period as may, in any particular case, be agreed to between the Minister and the Director of the National Museum of Ireland.

(6) In exercising discretion under subsection (4)(d) of this section—
(a) the Minister is not restricted to archaeological considerations but is entitled to consider the public interest notwithstanding that such exercise may involve—
(i) injury to or interference with the national monument concerned, or
(ii) the destruction in whole or in part of the national monument concerned,
(b) the Minister may have regard to the following to the extent that they appear to the Minister to be relevant in exercising discretion in any particular case:
(i) the preservation, protection or maintenance of the archaeological, architectural, historical or other cultural heritage or amenities of, or associated with the national monument;
(ii) the nature and extent of any injury or interference with the national monument;
(iii) any social or economic benefit that would accrue to the State or

(7) Where the Minister considers it expedient to do so in the interests of public health or safety the Minister may issue such directions without having regard to or having considered matters which, if it were not expedient to do so in the interests of public health or safety, the Minister would have regard to or have considered.

by TaraWatch Fri May 11, 2007 01:52

The image is taken from another Indymedia opinion piece, by MniB, where there is no credit given to the photographer. We did contact Paula yesterday and ask her if we could use the image, since she owns the copyright. She said not problem.

The engineers report must have been taken off the hilloftara.info page. We'll check it out.

by name Fri May 11, 2007 00:30

What is it titled and give us direct link to it thanks.

by aerial shot Fri May 11, 2007 00:18

When this aerial shot is used the photographer should be credited.
Paula Geraghty took this photo at the behest of and flight paid for by the Campaign to Save Tara.

by TaraWatch Thu May 10, 2007 18:22

Correct link

http://www.hilloftara.info/downloads.html

by TaraWatch Thu May 10, 2007 18:19

Report on http://www.hilloftara.info/documents.html

Lismullen in centre, Rath Lugh in background

by name Thu May 10, 2007 17:32

where exaclty? I don't see it on that downloads page?

by TaraWatch Thu May 10, 2007 16:52 info at tarawatch dot org

Thanks

On behalf of TaraWatch I'd like to thank Indymedia for reporting this event.. Yes, the reporter made a slight error about Seamus Brennan's duties, but sure he's always been a bit confused himself about them. I'd also like to thank the 20 or so TaraWatch members, along with Martin Hogan, Independent candidate for NUI Senate seat in the upcoming election, and Dr Gerald Morgan of Trinity College Dublin, for attending the event.

The purpose of the event was to to make a legal submission to Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, on the new archaeological discovery made near the Hill of Tara. Minister Roche is currently making a decision on whether or not to preserve the national monument intact. Earlier in the day TaraWatch held a press briefing on the various options available to the Minister, particularly the western reroute of the M3. The briefing was attended by Irish Times, Irish Independent, RTE, Newstalk and others, and was widely reported.

Call on Public to Make Submissions to Minister Roche

We are urging the public to make a submission of their own to the Minister, so that he cannt turn around and say 'I got 50 submissions to demolish it, and only 5 to preserve it intact', as Minister Cullen did with Carrickmines Castle. In addition, making a submission entitles you to go to the High Court and seek judicial review of the decision of the Minister, should it appear to be illegal. TaraWatch is actively taking legal advice at the moment, in anticipation that the Minister will attempt to demolish the site. Please email your submission to minister@environ.ie and be sure to send a hardcopy to Dick Roche, TD, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Custom's House, Dublin 2.

Request for Mediation.

TarWatch made a formal request in writing for a meeting with Minister Roche, and the commencement of a process of mediation between all interested parties, before the Minister make his decision. This is done is an attempt to adopt the content and ethos of Agenda 21, based on restorative justice, and avoid continued litigation and protests, which could endanger the public.

Expert Report

An expert report on the new site from international expert Dr Ronald Hicks, of ball State University, Indiana, was presented to the media dn Minister Roche. The report concludes; "The most important point, of course, is that the available evidence from the Tara vicinity and from comparable complexes elsewhere strongly suggests that the Tara complex extends across the route of the proposed motorway. To avoid damage to this highly significant prehistoric landscape, the route should be shifted..."

Dr Hicks has endorsed the TaraWatch nomination of the Hill of Tara complex to the Word Monuments Watch - List of 100 Most Endangered Sites. A decision is expected in June. (see http://www.wmf.org)

Dr Hicks and a number of other notable US archaeologists had a letter published in today's Irish Times (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hilloftara/message/2925)

Engineers Report

An engineers report, commission by TaraWatch in 2005, was also presented to the media and the Minister. it contains an analysis of the western reroute option, which would save Tara and be more economical. It can be found at http://www.hilloftara.info/downloads.html

Polls Show Majority Demand Reroute of M3

We presented numerous polls showing that a clear majority of Irish people want the M3 rerouted away from the Hill of Tara. These include a Red C poll in 2005 and an Ireland.com poll last Friday at http://scripts.ireland.com/polls/breaking/index.cfm?fus...d=356 which shos that 73% of people want the M3 rerouted.

TaraWatch Weekly Meetings in Dublin

TaraWatch was the group that brought the new site to the attention of the media and the public. As a result of our actions, the Minister issued a press release, and ordered the works at the site to come to a halt. We have many events and opportunities planned, to enable the public to get involved. Meetings are held every Saturday in Dublin. Gather in the Spar coffee shop on the corner of Abbey St and Capel St. You can receive news and join 800 activists on the mailing list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hilloftara/ or become a friend at http://www.myspace.com/hilloftara

Other Media Reports on this event

RTE News: Warning over M3 national monument
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0508/m3.html

Ireland.com: Group threatens legal action over Tara
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0508/bre...1.htm

Irish Times and Irish Indpendent
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hilloftara/message/2920

2/3 or Irish people agree

by Michael Martin - TaraWatch Wed May 09, 2007 23:27 Wicklowwolf at yahoo dot com

Correct! He is Social & Family now. He turned up at the Customs House for another event involving a cell phone company or something similar. I remember dealing with him when we did Carrickmines a few years ago. I guess old habits are hard to kill. Therefore above slip-up.

But since he was ex-Transport we saw no harm in asking him for his opinion on Tara. He refused to comment, but wished us good luck.

"I am only a civil servant. Minister Roche is out canvassing!"