Anger Strike Resumes Thursday 17th - Dail Eireann - Get Them Out!

dublin | history and heritage | feature Wednesday June 16, 2004 20:07 by Vincent Salafia - Save Tara Skryne Valley Group savetaraskreen at yahoo dot com PO Box 30, Tara, Co. Meath 087-132-3365

'Anger Strike Calls for Politicians to Force General Election by Opposing National Monuments Bill.'

NRA: "The M3 will only impact 2 sites." WAG: "That's funny - I count 28."

From The Newswire: The Anger Strike protest, called by Save Tara Skryne Valley Group, against the National Monuments Bill will continue Thursday morning, at 9.30 am at the Kildare Street entrance to the Dail.

The goal of the campaign is to rally support from the Opposition and Fianna Fail backbenchers, in order to vote down the National Monuments Bill, and formation of a new Governmewnt that will protect Ireland's national heritage at the Hill of Tara, as well as Carrickmines and Waterford.

This morning (Wed 16th June) Trevor Sargent TD (Greens), Eamon Gilmore TD (Labour), and Mary Lou McDonald MEP (Sinn Fein), as well as newly elected Meath County Councillor, Philip Cantwell (Ind) were among politicians who joined the Anger Strike.

A group of approximately 30 campaigners are calling on members of all parties to oppose the bill, to save Ireland's heritage, and to bring down this Government for once and for all. They are hoping that if the Government loses on this Bill, that a general election will have to be called.

Continue at this link for the Full Feature including the reasons why the Save Tara Skryne Valley Group are so angry about the National Monuments Bill.

Previous Indymedia Feature : "Tara Don't Want No Carrickmines"
The Bill is being challenged because:

- It is designed to legalize badly designed roads, not protect national monuments.

- It is against the letter and spirit of the National Monuments Acts (1930-1994) to legislate away legal protections for a particular site, Carrickminmes, because the Government failed to identify the site
beforehand, and created the 'emergency' in the first place.

- It was developed without consultation with heritage groups.

- It eliminates the existing democratic checks and balances, by reducing from three to one the number of actors involved in consenting
to demolision of a national monument; allowing Minister Martin Cullen to be judge, jury and executioner.

- It eliminates the democratic checks and balances, requiring that the consent of the Minister must be placed before the Dail for 21 sitting days, thus eliminating national debate on the issue of destruction of a national monument.

- It reduces, rather than increases protections for monuments for the first time in Irish history.

- It is a breach of the European Convention on the Protection of the Arcvhaeological Heritage, 1992, or the Valletta Convention, to which Ireland is a signatory, and which reinforces that national heritage sites are of European significance and that preservation in situ must be the first priority over preservation by record.

- It is a violation of the UNESCO World Heritage Site legislation, which Ireland has agreed to. A copy is being mailed to UNESCO, and we are awaiting Tara to be placed on the 100 Most Endangered Sites List in July.

- It is violation of EU law, including the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, which has been included into Irish law, and requires adequate prior investigation, and therefore will come into direct conflict where the European Commission may make a contrary ruling in its current, ongoing investigation into Carrickmines.

The Anger Strike will resume tomorrow, with representatives from:

- Carrickmines Castle, which is currently protected by the National Monuments Act, but in the path of the M50.
- Waterford's Viking remains, currently protected by the National Monuments Act, but in the path of the Waterford Bypass.
- Clondalkin's, and Ireland's oldest round tower, under threat of development into a pub.
- Trim Castle, Co Meath, Ireland's finest Norman Castle, location for Braveheart, under threat of development by hotel, which Minister Cullen declined to protect.
- and others.

According to Vincent Salafia, an LL.M candidate in Trinity College Dublin Law School, specializing in heritage law:

"We are pushing ahead with our preparations to seek a High Court injunction, to prevent this Government from digging up the Hill of Tara, under current legislation."

"I am certain this Amendment Bill will not be carried, and this morally bankrupt administration will be be cast put into the bowels of history.

Dr. Muireann Ni Bhrolchain said:

"The EU, UNESCO and the entire academic world are absolutely outraged. This puts us right up there with Iraq in terms of senseless destruction of globally significant cultural heritage."

ENDS

Contact:

Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365
Muireann Ni Bhrolchain 087-924-9510