Motorway plan attacked

The public inquiry into Dublin's proposed South-Eastern Motorway should consider "standing down", Professor Ian McAulay told the sixth day of the inquiry yesterday.

Professor McAulay, who is giving evidence in a private capacity, since the county council intends to compulsorily acquire his home, said that questions needed to be answered about the appropriateness of the environmental impact statement (EIS).

The questions related to the fact that the EIS described the route as a two-by-two-lane-motorway and "all of the figures given in the EIS were pertinent to such a scheme", he said.

Professor McAulay argued that it had been admitted earlier in the inquiry that the motorway was designed with the objective of allowing for future expansion to a two-by-three-lane-motorway.

"A six-lane motorway will have a much greater environmental impact than is indicated in the EIS", he said. This was especially important in relation to the pollution levels, which would be "substantially more damaging to the health of those residing nearby" if the motorway was expanded.

"It is not acceptable that the EIS should mislead in respect of this and I believe the council should be asked to give a firm commitment that there will not be a two-by-three-lane-motorway in the future. If the council is not prepared to give such a commitment, I suggest that the inquiry should be deferred until an EIS appropriate to such a motorway has been submitted for public consideration."