5rd September  2004

PRESS RELEASE

Govt. and Cullen need 'serious attitude change' if Ireland's heritage is to be
protected

Green Party Planning spokesperson, Ciarán Cuffe TD, claimed today that the
Government and the Minister for the Environment, Martin Cullen, need a serious
'attitude change' if Ireland's heritage is to be protected.

Deputy Cuffe was speaking at the start of Heritage Week 2004 which runs from
today, Sunday 5th September to 12th September. Heritage Week is an integral
part of European Heritage Days, a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and
the EU.

Mr. Cuffe said today, "You only have to look at Minister Cullen's reaction to
the Carrickmines Castle debacle to realize that, in so far as this Government
is concerned, Ireland's heritage will always take second place to the national
roads project. The Government and Minister Cullen have displayed a remarkable
indifference to the protection of Ireland's heritage. Yet in the case of
Carrickmines Castle a simple compromise could have avoided any serious
disruption to the motorway while saving the Castle."

"For the last two years the Green Party has been calling on Minister Cullen to
bend the road and save the castle. We believe that no serious attempt was made
to solve the problem when the true extent of the Castle site became known. Had
this been done the motorway would now be built, the heritage site protected and
taxpayers money would not have been wasted."

"The Government and Minister Cullen must learn the lessons of Carrickmines
Castle as similar projects will undoubtedly run into the same problems. It is
absolutely criminal that the Government are prepared to railroad through major
road projects while wrecking heritage sites and ignoring public concerns."

ENDS