Back on the 3rd July last, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government laid a motion before the Dáil authorising the partial demolition of Carrickmines Castle.

This Motion can be annulled within 21 sitting days of the Dáil.  Those 3 weeks run out at midnight on the 20th November 2003.

The Green Party has tabled the following motion to rescind the Government's motion, however, as a small Party, it is unlikely that we will be given speaking time on this issue.

WATCH THIS SPACE........

Green Party Motion re. Carrickmines Castle/South Eastern Motorway

9th October 2003

"In regard to the National Monument at Carrickmines Castle in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown and South Dublin that this House:

-Notes the decision of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to place an order before it on the 3rd July 2003 under Section 14 of the 1930 National Monuments Act allowing the Government

- To demolish or remove wholly or in part or to disfigure, deface, alter or in any manner to injure or interfere with any such national monument without or otherwise than the consent hereinafter mentioned,

- To excavate, dig, plough, or otherwise disturb ground within, around, or in proximity to any such national monument without or otherwise than in accordance with the consent hereafter mentioned;

- Acknowledges that under Section 15 of the 1994 National Monuments Act:

- An order annulling hte order can be pased by the House withhin the next twenty-one days on which that House has sat after the order is laid before it, the order shall be annulled accordingly, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder."

- Resolves that the order shall be annulled and calls on the Minster for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government in conjunction with the relevant agencies to modify the route and junction layout if necessary of the proposed south eastern Motorway in the vicinity of the National Monument so as to re-route the road to the south west of the substantial Castle remains."

Ciarán Cuffe TD, Eamon Ryan TD, Trevor Sargent TD, Dan Boyle TD, Paul Gogarty TD, John Gormley TD