Discussion on Navan rail route is over, says Dempsey

A major war of words has erupted over the proposed route of Navan-Dublin Rail line with Transport Minister, Noel Dempsey, warning yesterday (Tuesday) that the only route that will be considered is the current proposal west of Dunshaughlin. His comments came in the wake of a decision by the Joint Oireachtas Transport Committee to invite Iarnród Éireann before the Committee to discuss the proposed route of the Navan rail line. The meeting is expected to take place on 2nd June. The minister was adamant that all discussions on the route was over, despite angry protests by representatives from the Dunshguhlin area who say the most sensible route would be to the east of Dunshaughlin village. "It is this route, or no route," the minister declared this week. As the controversy over the route continued, the minister suggested that the campaign to have the route run to the east of Dunboyne was to facilitate developers, but this was angrily rejected by Deputy Shane Mcentee who said he wasn't even aware who owned the land, and said it was laughable for Fianna Fail, of all parties, to be claiming that it was to suit developers. Mr Dempsey said that all options had been looked at and discussions had finished. "The route chosen is the most economic and practical and avoids having to cross the M3 in two different places. It would cost an additional €100 million to bring the line east of Dunshaughlin and I will not ask the taxpayer to pay this additional amount. These projects have to stand up to capital appraisal," he said. Deputy Shane McEntee said the current approved route, which runs to the west of Dunshaughlin, makes no sense. "Locating the train station so far outside of the town defeats the purpose of public transport. The people of Dunshaughlin who want to use this station will have to drive or get a bus out to the train station. I would have hoped that the M3 would have relieved the traffic congestion in Dunshaughlin, but the short-sightedness of this route will create traffic chaos in the town again," he said. "The commuting population of Ratoath and Ashbourne will also have to travel through the town of Dunshaughlin in order to access the train station. It is a pointless exercise building a railway away from the people. The purpose of this rail line is to serve the people." Deputy McEntee said the minister had a cheek to intimate that the proposal to locate the route east of Dunshaughlin was to facilitate developers. "The Local Area Plan and a survey carried out by consultants on behalf of Meath County Council identified east of Dunshaughlin as the route for the line. Is he saying this was done for developers?" he asked. Deputy McEntee said the current proposal was pure madness and a politcal decision and rejected claims that by "meddling" in the route, he was putting the whole proposal in jeopardy. Cllr Shane Cassells had also suggested that "the purpose of politicians looking for the rail line to go to the east has nothing got to do with public transport and everything got to do with more housing development". He said the population base to use this rail line was there already and, if the line was to go east of Dunshaughlin, "we will be riding the trains like they do in India - on the roof because they will have people living on every square inch of the line". Cllr Cassells said Irish Rail had spelled out to the minister and the members of Meath County Council that any attempt to direct the line to the east would cost an additional €100m. "It is great to see the rail line to Dunboyne and opening this October and that will be of benefit to people right across that area. However, it is imperative we now move it on to Navan which is what we are doing. To create any unnecessary delay in the delivery of the line to Navan is shameful," he said. Cllr Brian Fitzgerald welcomed the fact that Iarnrod Eireann would be appearing before the Joint Oirechtais Committee. He said the current proposal made no planning sense whatsoever and added the Department of Transport should also be brought before the Committee to explain the recent decision. Cllr Regina Doherty said the decision to run the line west of Dunjshaughlin was appalling and expressed anger at the way public representatives were being told not to rock the boat as far as the proposals were concerned. She said it was ludicrous that the new railway line would be so inaccessible to the people of Ratoath and Ashbourne. Cllr Tommy Reilly said he was very concerned about the way people were meddling with the recent decision and warned that it could mean that the railway line could be lost to Navan. "Oireachtais members meddling with the proposed route are putting the line in danger of never coming to Navan." The Mayor of Navan, Cllr Joe Reilly, said he was anxious that the work would proceed as quickly as possible and he hoped the Oireachtais Committee would not hold up progress, but would help achieve the extension of the railway line to Navan by 2015.