M3 protest outside Green offices

Campaigners today opened a petition outside Green Party headquarters demanding that Minister for the Environment John Gormley…

Campaigners today opened a petition outside Green Party headquarters demanding that Minister for the Environment John Gormley re-route the controversial M3 motorway.

The event, organised by TaraWatch, is calling for the road to be diverted away from the ancient Hill of Tara site in Co Meath.

"The purpose of the petition is to compel Minister Gormley to act to protect Tara, so that Irish citizens are not forced to risk seeking relief in the courts," campaigner Vincent Salafia said.

The group claim that Mr Gormley has both the power and duty to protect the national monuments at Tara.

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However, in earlier statements Mr Gormley said he could not revisit his predecessor's decisions unless there was "a material change in circumstances".

In its petition today Tarawatch claim five changes have taken place that would allow the Minister to re-route the motorway.

The group says the inclusion of the Hill of Tara on the World Monuments Fund's List of 100 Most Endangered Sites, possible EU action against the NDP and the discovery of an important underground complex at Lismullin are all "material changes in circumstances".

Campaigners also said that flaws in NRA methodology and the fact that the M3 was planned and approved in 2003 using outdated analysis are other reasons not to go ahead with the project.

"Minister Gormley must act now to correct the mistakes of the past, or the entire National Development Plan, and every project in it, may brought to a standstill," Mr Salafia added.