TARA - Indymedia stories from last week

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Bertie Ahern hands in his Resignation
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87438?

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Meath MASTER Plan March 3pm May 17th 2008
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87436

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Tara Vigil Camp Being Evicted

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87465

 

PRESS RELEASE

For Release 6/5/2008

A public march in support of the innovative Meath MASTER Plan will take place on Saturday May 17th 2008 at 3pm.

Participants are asked to meet at the Garden of Remembrance, Parnell Square at the top of O'Connell St , Dublin ( map HERE ( the bus from Belfast goes right beside it ))and the march will proceed to Dail Eireann, where there will be speeches, music and a presentation of the Plan to government officials.

The MASTER (Model Archaeological and Sustainable Economic Region) Plan is an advanced development plan that solves the current legal, environmental and heritage issues around the controversial M3 motorway, and also provides a wider model for sustainable economic, heritage and tourism development in Meath.

A key goal of the Plan is to enable Meath people to work in their locality, reduce their dependence on long-distance commuting to Dublin, and consequently allow them to spend more time with their families and within their community.

A second goal is to reduce Meath's CO2 emissions and its reliance on oil use for transport and energy, and to regenerate the local economy and communities of the region. Reduced oil use would lead to much lower costs in the future for both families and businesses in Meath. The promoters of the Plan stress this should be a national priority at a time when the oil price is close to $120 per barrel and has increased by over 500% since 2002.

The MASTER Plan objectives would be achieved via the creation of a community transport network to include a toll-free 2+1 road, and rail and coach services that facilitate easy travel throughout Meath, together with the creation of a UNESCO Meath World Heritage Park to generate tourism revenue, preserve the unique value of Meath's heritage sites and demonstrate the importance of sustainable living.

The Plan avoids re-routing the M3 as it uses much of the current road scheme "footprint" and switches to the existing N3 in the sensitive Tara-Skryne Valley area whilst still providing bypasses of Dunshaughlin and Navan. Land within the Tara-Skryne Valley purchased for the M3 would be held in state ownership and designated for heritage interpretation and protection.

The modified road scheme would also save significant costs for commuters and businesses as it would be toll-free, since the reduced cost of the 2+1 road format allows for buy-out of the PPP contract.

The Plan additionally implements the long-sought rail link to Navan and Kells, and provides for new coach services, creating a cost-effective, sustainable and reliable community transport network that would break dependency on long-distance commuting, encourage local job creation and dramatically improve quality of life for those living in the region.

The coach and rail alternatives would help reduce traffic volumes on the modified M3 by up to two-thirds, and the capital costs involved are approx. € 300 million less than current Government proposals.

The parallel designation of the region as a UNESCO World Heritage site would result in the preservation, protection and sustainable management of the archaeology in the Tara-Skryne Valley and surrounding areas. The extent of the World Heritage site would encompass the five major centres of Navan, Kells, Trim, Dunshaughlin and Slane, bringing a major tourist and economic dividend for the region with a potential increase of €75 million in tourism revenue per annum.

Co-authors of the Meath MASTER Plan, environmental campaigner Tadhg Crowley and transport researcher Brian Guckian, stated: "The Meath MASTER Plan is a huge opportunity to be grasped, with very significant economic, environmental, social and cultural benefits. It is something that everyone can have ownership of, and our message is that there is a solution, and that it can be implemented right now".

The proposal is currently with government and has received strong backing from the public and from across the political spectrum.

Guest speakers at the march will outline what the Plan means to them and the event will be a positive and constructive chance to engage with the issues involved, according to the organisers.

ENDS

For details on the arrangements for the Meath MASTER Plan March, please contact:
Terri Murray
terricath@hotmail.com

For details on the content of the Meath MASTER Plan, please contact:
Brian Guckian
railprojects@eircom.net

Tadhg Crowley
tadhgcrowley@gmail.com

posters etc for the Meath Park Plan Gathering  - downloadable from http://www.tarataratara.net/POSTERS/MeathMasterPlan.htm

POSTERS/MeathA3P.pdf	Press release - HERE and HERE for posters and fliers
see Indymedia for more details  ......

 

Last Updated: 05/05/2008  15:33

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Plans to make Dublin city centre car-free

Large areas of Dublin city centre could be closed to private traffic within a year under radical new proposals to tackle congestion.

The Joint Oireachtas transport committee has developed a draft report recommending that a number of key streets be prioritised for buses.

These include O’Connell, Dame and Westmoreland Streets along with College Green and the closures could be in place by next April.

Committee chairman Frank Fahey of Fianna Fail claimed the scheme was workable and that traffic management measures would be put in place.

“We decided bus transport, a reliable high frequency bus service can effectively deal with traffic congestion in Dublin in the short term,” he said.

“There will be traffic management measures put in place to ensure proper circulation.

“What we have put forward is a short term action plan to be implemented in 2008/2009, so that by next April this plan for traffic being banned would be put in place,” he told RTE radio.

Mr Fahey said drivers from Dublin Bus had addressed the Committee on the difficulties they face in getting through the capital’s clogged streets.

He added if the public was to be encouraged to use public transport bus priority measures must be established.

Traffic measures are to be put in place to help smooth the transition to a car-free zone, with the construction of two new bridges over the Liffey, one at Macken Street and another at either Hawkins Street or Marlborough Street.

A similar plan could be rolled out for Galway, Cork, Waterford and Limerick.

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0505/breaking49.htm

© 2008 ireland.com

details of the CD and the artists on www.taramusic.net

strangely this is NOT over