Upcoming Events

National | Environment

no events match your query!

New Events

National

no events posted in last week

Blog Feeds

The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

The Saker >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link Trial of Migrant Murder Suspect Will Take Twice as Long Because of Language Barrier Sat Dec 14, 2024 15:00 | Will Jones
The murder trial of an asylum seeker believed to have arrived in the U.K. on a small boat could take twice as long because he does not speak English, a court heard.
The post Trial of Migrant Murder Suspect Will Take Twice as Long Because of Language Barrier appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link BBC Accused of ?Gross Historical Ignorance? in Syria Reporting Sat Dec 14, 2024 13:00 | Will Jones
The BBC has been accused of "gross historical ignorance" after it said that Syria's Jews "want to believe they have a space now" following the collapse of Assad's Government at the hands of an Islamist insurgency.
The post BBC Accused of “Gross Historical Ignorance” in Syria Reporting appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Nutcracker Gets Woke Makeover With Suffragettes and Girl Boss Lead Sat Dec 14, 2024 11:00 | Will Jones
The Nutcracker has been given a woke makeover by the English National Ballet with the addition of Suffragettes and a girl boss lead character.
The post Nutcracker Gets Woke Makeover With Suffragettes and Girl Boss Lead appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link IPCC U-Turn as it Prepares to Start Blaming Humans for Bad Weather Sat Dec 14, 2024 09:00 | Chris Morrison
Up to now the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has largely held the line on not blaming 'extreme' weather on humans. But its latest press release suggests that is about to change, says Chris Morrison.
The post IPCC U-Turn as it Prepares to Start Blaming Humans for Bad Weather appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link 2025 is the UN Deadline for All Countries to Integrate Climate Propaganda into Their School Curricul... Sat Dec 14, 2024 07:00 | Steven Tucker
2025 is the UN deadline for all countries to integrate climate propaganda into their school curriculum. Is this why there's been such a push recently in the UK and elsewhere to green the classroom, asks Steven Tucker.
The post 2025 is the UN Deadline for All Countries to Integrate Climate Propaganda into Their School Curriculum appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Tara campaign.. Taxpayer To Pay For M3 Double Toll

category national | environment | news report author Friday December 11, 2009 14:16author by lugh23 - http://www.tarapixie.net/author email lugh23 at gmail dot com Report this post to the editors

Ferrovial made a sweetheart deal with the Government under which the Toll company would be compensated by the Taxpayer if traffic levels did not reach the specific/expected targets.

Ferrovial made a sweetheart deal with the Government under which the Toll company would be compensated by the Taxpayer if traffic levels did not reach the specific/expected targets.

Save Tara campaigners are calling for the resignation of the Minister for Transport, Mr. Noel Dempsey, over the issue of the tolling of the M3 motorway. Campaigners have been drawing attention to the fact that the road was to be tolled twice for years now but the message has fallen on deaf ears until recently when a letter (Meath Chronicle, 18th. July) from the campaign again drew attention to the fact that Ferrovial made a sweetheart deal with the Government under which the Toll company would be compensated by the Taxpayer if traffic levels did not reach the specific/expected targets. (Campaigners have also drawn attention to the fact that the tolling period is 45 years and not 30 as reported widely in the press.)

The traffic figures on the existing N3 are dropping yearly since its peak in May '06 when it reached 19,042, the latest figures available are for March '09 and they have fallen by nearly 3,000 to 16,279. These figures will continue to fall as Meath now records the highest job losses in the country. Unemployment has risen by 116% in a year and the total unemployed in the county now stands at 11,498.

In the coming years there will be less people moving to Meath for housing as the prices in Dublin continue to fall - the rise in the population of Meath was mainly due to Dubliners who could not afford to live in their own county due to high house prices. Given a choice, commuters will chose to live in neighbouring Kildare where there are no tolls and there is a decent alternative public transport system from the commuter towns of Maynooth and Leixlip in particular.

As far as an alternative public transport system for county Meath is concerned, this deal with Ferrovial means that the Government now has a conflict of interest vis a vis the rail option and the M3 motorway. Any proposal for any public transport alternative for Meath commuters will be handicapped by the necessity for the Government to consider the damage such proposals might inflict on traffic volumes on the M3. As an example - the site of the Pace railway station (after the Toll Plaza on the M3) demonstrates this point graphically - you can have the rail alternative but not until you first pay the toll on the M3.

Related Link: http://www.tarapixie.net/
author by Proinsiaspublication date Mon Dec 14, 2009 01:46author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Are we being slowly desensitised? It's just one shameful story/fact after another of either ridiculous state incompetence or calculated brazen affront to the Irish citizen.
What can the little guy do? Were Irish men born to pray and save? Is the romantic Ireland of equality, justice and a moral sense of fair play dead and gone?

'For what died the sons of Roisin?, was it greed?
For what died the sons of Roisin was it fame?
When we've sold enough of Ireland to be but strangers in it
For what died the sons of Roisin.'

author by TaraTaraTarapublication date Tue Dec 15, 2009 08:32author address author phone Report this post to the editors

No New Rail Projects Until Finances Get back On Track

Wednesday December 09 2009 By Paul Melia

No new rail projects will go ahead until we have more money, the Government
admitted yesterday.
Transport Minister Noel Dempsey said that money had been allocated to just two
projects -- the Metro North and DART underground in Dublin -- and that all other
schemes would be delayed for the foreseeable future.
This means that plans to extend the Luas light-rail system to Lucan, Bray, and
Broombridge near Cabra have been put on hold, while the Metro West project
linking Tallaght to Dublin Airport will also be now delayed.
The Metro North and DART underground alone are expected to cost in excess of
€6.5bn, and all of the projects in the Transport 21 public transport programme
were expected to be completed by 2017.
Also expected to be delayed are the Navan train line, while the Tuam to Galway
line is likely to stay at the design stage.
Speaking at the opening of the extension of the Red (Tallaght) Luas line to the
docklands yesterday, Mr Dempsey said all projects would be brought through the
planning process but that building work would not begin until money was
available.
Committed
"Both of them, the Metro and DART underground, are in the capital programme
going forward," he said. "The Government is absolutely committed to both of
those programmes.
"There's a couple of other Luas extensions that will open over the next couple
of years, and further ones that are in planning," he said.
"We intend to ensure we can bring all of those through planning and design and
then we will build when we have the money to build.
"It's not going to be possible to build within the same timeframe. They will be
built as soon as we have the finances."
The 1.5km journey from the Luas stop at Busarus to The Point took just over
seven minutes on the first night of operation for the Luas extension into the
city's docklands.
Eager young fans going to the Lily Allen concert at The O2 arena crowded onto
the tram for the speedy journey.
Trams were also ready to pick the thousands of fans up after the concert and
take them back into the city.
The Luas extension to Cherrywood is expected to open in the second half of next
year, while an extension to Citywest will open in 2011. Both are part-funded by
the private sector.
The Luas Docklands (C1) extension will carry 1.8 million passengers a year.
There are four stops -- George's Dock, Mayor Square, Spencer Dock and The Point.
Public consultation on the line began in January 2001, and the final route was
selected in November 2003.
Work began in February 2007 after planning permission was secured, and it cost
€90m to build and was completed on time and within budget.
Direction
Journey times from Tallaght to The Point will take 52 minutes, while trams will
run in the opposite direction every six and a half minutes at peak times and
every eight minutes at all other times on weekdays.
Railway Procurement Agency chief executive Frank Allen said he was delighted the
first new extension to Luas was ready to go into service.
- Paul Melia
Irish Independent

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/budget/the-meas...jects\
-until-finances-get-back-on-track-1968102.html

author by Michaelangelo - -publication date Fri Dec 18, 2009 13:11author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Yes, this huge payout of taxpayers money to Ferrovial is still unopposed by Fine Gael in the Dail, who have always given a carte blanche to the Tara Motorway.

You would think that taxpayers in this recession would be up in arms against the M3 on this account alone even if they don't give a damn about their own environment and heritage !

This generation reminds me of the mob who wanted to tear the 1916 men to shreds as they were marched off after their surrender , saved only by the British Army !

No Balls :-)

 
© 2001-2024 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy