A prominent campaigner against the M3 motorway route near the historic site of Tara in Co Meath has announced he will not run in the forthcoming European Parliament elections.
Vincent Salafia of the Tarawatch group said he had instead decided to focus on a problem-solving initiative in the dispute over the motorway.
Mr Salafia, a US-trained lawyer with a masters degree in EU environmental law from Trinity College Dublin, had received the support of Tarawatch members to run as an Independent in the Dublin constituency.
He said today he was continuing to take legal advice on whether the €1.44 billion spending allocation recently made by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey on the roads programme was in breach of EU law.
"It is possible there will be a High Court action, seeking a ruling that the National Development Plan is in breach of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) directive. If successful the case would result in a spending freeze on all motorways until SEA is performed," Mr Salafia said.
"SEA includes cost/benefit analysis, independent environmental assessment and public consultation."
The campaigner said he would focus on enrolling Opposition parties and other interested parties in a problem-solving initiative for Tara and the M3.
“My only goal is to save Tara, and running a political campaign would detract from practical efforts to do so at this critical time. Running for MEP as an Independent would alienate Opposition parties who are crucial to the success of our problem-solving initiative."
A public meeting will take place on the issue at the Jonathan Swift Theatre in Trinity College Dublin at 7.30 pm on March 24th. Mr Salafia said the meeting would focus on the current UNESCO public consultation for the proposed Hill of Tara UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Last October, Tarawatch sent questionnaires to the political parties asking them to outline their positions on the controversial M3 upgrading in advance of the European Parliament elections this coming June. They were asked 10 questions, including whether they supported the current route of the M3 or a route farther away from the Hill of Tara.
The National Roads Authority said earlier this month that the M3 was well ahead of schedule and that it was likely to open well in advance of its target date of July 2010.
Speaking after disturbances by protesters who were not believed to be part of the Tarawatch group, roads authority spokesman Seán O’Neill said it was time for protesters to accept that the road was nearly finished and to end their protest.