Legal challenge likely over decision on route

A legal challenge to the Government's decision to proceed with a motorway through the Tara-Skryne valley in Co Meath looked unavoidable yesterday.

While the decision to go ahead with the road was welcomed by business interests and some political parties, members of the Save Tara Skryne Valley group said they were shocked and appalled at "undoubtedly the worst planning decision in the history of the State".

Group member Vincent Salafia was yesterday taking advice on a challenge which he said would be mounted within the statutory eight week period following Mr Roche's announcement. An Taisce said the decision was "unjustifiable" and accused the Government of arrogance "in ignoring advice from the National Museum, the Heritage Council, Discovery Programme findings, as well as hundreds of leading academics from around the world".

Green Party environment spokesman Ciarán Cuffe said the decision was an enormous mistake. "A motorway and a spaghetti junction this close to one of the most historic and sacred sites in Ireland is an enormous mistake. This is a bad day for history, for heritage and for the Hill of Tara.

The Labour Party also criticised the decision. Environment spokesman Eamon Gilmore said Mr Roche had "betrayed the country's Celtic heritage". Mr Gilmore said the Minister "chose to roll over to the demand of the toll road lobby" and the approach would also result in inevitable delays and a failure to protect the heritage of Tara.

However Meath Fine Gael TDs Damien English and Shane McEntee claimed the decision would "slash commuting time by one week every year" and they called for work to start as soon as possible.

While they were disappointed that Mr Roche did not require the Blundelstown interchange to be built at a lower level and had not included the reopening of the Navan to Dublin rail line as part of a transport package, they said it would make a huge difference to the 21,700 commuters who use the road daily.

The Fine Gael environment spokesman Fergus O'Dowd also welcomed the decision but said the area around the M3 should be "sterilised" to prevent inappropriate development.

The Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (CCI) welcomed the Minister's decision. CCI chief executive John Dunne said the road was a vital piece of national infrastructure.

The Meath Archaeological and Historical Society along with the locally based Tara Heritage Preservation Group are planning a seminar in response to the decision. In a joint statement the groups said the decision was "greatly regretted from heritage, planning and transport points of view". The seminar takes place on Saturday, June 11th, in St Columban's College, Dalgan Park, Navan, at 2pm.