Traveller protest disrupts traffic

Thousands of Dublin motorists were severely affected yesterday evening as a result of a Traveller protest at Dunsink Lane on …

Thousands of Dublin motorists were severely affected yesterday evening as a result of a Traveller protest at Dunsink Lane on the northside of the city.

Traffic on the N3, the Navan Road, was stopped for over two hours by almost 100 members of the Travelling community protesting at the closing of a major access road to their homes.

Dublin Bus last night admitted its services were experiencing delays of over an hour in some parts, and others were complete no-go areas.

Ms Grainne Macken, a spokeswoman for Dublin Bus, last night told The Irish Times: "We, like everybody else, have experienced chronic problems.

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"Our 37, 38 and 70 bus routes have been severely affected. No bus was able to enter Blanchardstown for almost an hour and a half this evening, and while we were able to get buses into Castleknock, we weren't able to get them out."

The protests have been going on since a large barrier was erected by Dublin City Council to close vehicle access to the lane and to "eliminate considerable dumping of commercial waste".

Earlier yesterday, Traveller representatives from Dunsink Lane met city councillors and gardaí to resolve the situation.

No commitment was given by the council to remove the barrier which blocks access to Finglas village for more than 400 residents of Dunsink Lane.

Mr Martin Collins, assistant director of the Traveller representative group Pavee Point, said: "We have sought a meeting with the task force who made the decision to erect the barrier.

"A senior official in Dublin City Council has said that he will facilitate a meeting with the task force, which consists of officials from Fingal County Council and Dublin City Council, early next week to reach a satisfactory conclusion."

In a separate development, the legal unit of the Irish Travellers' Movement (ITM) said it was considering challenging the council's decision to close Dunsink Lane in the courts.

Mr David Joyce said: "We would question the legality of closing a public road without any consultation, and would be examining the possibility of a judicial review of the decision."

The Travellers said they would continue to protest at the roundabout connecting the M50 and Navan Road until the barrier is removed.