Minister urged to fast track new bill
THE National Monuments Forum is urging Minister Gormley to accelerate delivery of the National Monuments Bill 2009, in order to ensure that the M2 motorway does not harm the Bru na Boinne UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The group also wants the minister to strengthen the legislation by incorporating the the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention into Irish law.
The call is being made after the NRA announced that the preferred route for the Slane Bypass will run within 500 metres of the Bru na Boinne World Heritage Site, and at least 40 other national treasures.
Dr George Eogan, Professor Emeritus of Archaeology at University College Dublin, who performed extensive excavations at the Bru na Boinne World Heritage Site, said:
'If this plan goes ahead, it will have a significant impact on the landscape and will result in the World Heritage Site being boxed in between two motorways, the M1 and the M2.'
'500 metres is simply too close, and it is conceivable that Newgrange could lose its World Heritage Status, if this plan goes ahead, like Dresden did last summer.
' They should simply ban HGVs from the town. There is simply no need to spend all this money or to do all this damage.'
