A Co Louth farmer who brought a High Court challenge to a decision by a planning inspector to proceed with a public inquiry into the Dundalk Western bypass and Northern Link motorway scheme has settled his action.
Mr John McBratney SC, for Mr Daniel O'Connell, Thistle House, Thistle Cross, told Mr Justice Kearns yesterday the matter had been settled and the proceedings could be struck out with no further order. Mr Justice Kearns said he was delighted that wise counsel had prevailed.
Mr O'Connell had complained he would lose a third of his farm, a front field and the driveway of his home, which had been occupied by four generations of his family, if a particular route was chosen for the motorway scheme.
He argued that the planning inspector should consider alternative routes.
The inspector had claimed it was not open to him to investigate the merits of routes which were not the specific subject of his inquiry.