Where’s the €100m coming from?

THE lack of clarity about the availability of Government funding of between €100 and €120 million for the second phase of a dual carriageway in South-East Clare has prompted calls for a re-evaluation of the entire project.
An allocation of €500,000 was recently approved by Transport Minister Leo Varadkar to progress the statutory phases involved in the selection and design of a route for the proposed 10km, €100m Limerick Northern Distributor Road.
However, public representatives and a new local lobby group, who are vehemently opposed to the emerging preferred route, have questioned where the Government will secure over €100m for the new route in the midst of projected billions of euro in cuts over the coming years.
Hundreds of angry residents from Parteen, Ardnacrusha and Clonlara are expected to converge at the Tail Race Bar, Parteen at 10am this Saturday for a public demonstration.
Residents, businesses and public representatives will carry placards and banners opposing the division of Parteen down the middle during the march, which will pass Browne’s Bar down to a location near the local Co-op Stores.
Parteen resident, Pat Cherry, who will be losing his septic tank and garden, revealed he was “shocked” to discover the road is coming so close to the village.
“I am used to living in the countryside on the outskirts of a rural village. The prospect of living near a four-lane dual carriageway with noise, smoke and traffic doesn’t bear thinking about.
“People assumed this road would never be built so close to a village. There are still a lot of people in the dark about this project. People don’t pay much attention to public notices in newspapers.
“This road is being talked about for years and years and people thought it was very much a long-term plan. We were bombarded with literature from candidates at election time but we haven’t been bombarded with information from the council about this road.
“The country is bankrupt and the Government are making several cutbacks. How can they spend up to €120m on this road? It beggars belief.
“This road could end up as a ‘rat run’ between the Galway to Limerick motorway and Dublin to Limerick motorway. Up to 12 farmers between the River Crossing at Clonlara and the Tail Race will be adversely affected by this road,” he said.
The environmental group of Parteen, which is opposed to the route, has sent out a clarion call for a large attendance to illustrate the level of opposition within the village and surrounding communities.
Despite calls for the publication of the controversial Constraints Study Report from Mayor of Clare, Pat Hayes, Deputy Timmy Dooley, Councillor Cathal Crowe and other public representatives, East Clare councillors and Clare Dáil deputies were told this wasn’t possible during a briefing in the Radisson Hotel, Limerick on Monday.
According to Councillor Crowe, elected representatives were told this study is a working draft document in a non-statutory process where there was no law stating it should or shouldn’t be made public.
However, council officials insisted withholding the report is standard practice and any breach could result in litigation or even scuppering the project.
Councillor Crowe called on Finance Minister Michael Noonan to make a statement on its viability and argued no further funding should be allocated to reports and studies if there is no money to construct it in the near future.
Meanwhile, Henry O’Boyle, Firhill Estate, has expressed grave concern about the impact of the new road on the village.
Under the new road layout, children from the Firhill Estate will have to cross a four-lane dual carriageway if they want to walk to Parteen National School, which is likely to prompt opposition from the National Roads Authority on safety grounds.
He claims the provision of a new roundabout at Clancy’s Cross will worsen the back-up of traffic at Clancy’s Shop and warns the new road will lead to a further drop of traffic for the tolled Shannon Tunnel, leaving the taxpayer with an even bigger subsidy bill for the tunnel, which is already being heavily subsidised after failing to meet initial projections.
His main objection is the inconvenience caused by splitting Parteen in two. Browne’s Pub, Parteen National School, beauty salon and window business will be on one side away from a shop and Larkin’s Pub on the other side.
Other concerns include traffic volumes, noise pollution and lack of public information about route selection.

Clonlara farm to be divided by four-lane dual carriageway

A SOUTH-East Clare farming couple have revealed the “nightmare” of having their farm land split down the middle by the emerging preferred route for Phase Two of the €100 million Northern Distributor Road.
Miriam and John McCormack, Shravokee, Clonlara, believe their lives have been “put on hold” for the next five or 10 years as they contemplate the worry and anxiety of living right alongside a four-lane dual carriageway if the route is confirmed after all the statutory processes.
They are involved in an effective farming partnership with John’s brother, Gerry, who will also be adversely affected by the Northern Distributor Road. John runs a suckler and beef enterprise on a number of holdings, while Gerry oversees the management of 140 dairy herd.
Both of them work hand in hand in the running of the adjoining farms and have been left distraught over the impact of a new motorway on their family life and livelihoods.
In a bitter twist of fate, the road will also divide another land holding, which John has rented for the last 19 years near Parteen village.
Having spent a considerable amount of money developing his farm in Shravokee, John insists, “No amount of money would compensate you for having your land broken into bits and pieces”.
He estimates at least 10 or 12 acres could be taken out of his 85 acres by the new road leaving him trying to earn a livelihood on a fragmented holding with “small patches and corners of land”.
Miriam warns they have been left in complete limbo with this “road hanging over their heads” as they wonder whether or not Clare County Council proceeds with this route.
About three years ago, Clare County Council gave them planning permission for a new slatted shed, having refused the first application. Now they believe this shed will be unviable because it will not be used to its full potential.
As planning for the road has been mooted for years, they never thought a route would be selected over the coming years.
Miriam claims they are being “decimated”. “If someone wants to walk on the land they would write to you. We didn’t even get a letter to go to a public consultation meeting.
“It is unthinkable, a nightmare. There was no presentation of information at the public consultation meeting; it was down to whatever questions you asked.
“Surely you should afford people a chance to sit down and talk to them when you are going to ruin their livelihood.
“It will be extremely difficult to farm our land. Can you imagine trying to get over and back four lanes of traffic for putting out slurry, for silage, changing cattle and dairy farm for twice a day milking?” she says.
While Clare County Council has promised to provide tunnels, bridges and aqueducts, Miriam warns the new road will cause havoc and will mean they can forget about any future expansion plans.
“You don’t have an option to sell up and leave, who would buy a farm with a road going through it? Who would buy the house, you will have four lanes of traffic coming down beside it? Effectively, it will be worthless. I don’t think you would get a buyer. I would not buy a house if I knew there would be four lanes of traffic.
“Between my neighbour and me, there is 100m of a gap. At first consultation, they told us a dual carriageway would need 50m, at this consultation, it would need 30 metres.
“I could be living 25m from a dual carriageway. If I went to get planning permission for a house 25m from a dual carriageway, I was told by a public representative, I would be refused,” she said.