Minister for the Environment John Gormley has said he has "no magic wand" to make the M3 motorway go away.
Mr Gormley met protesters against the proposed motorway who picketed the offices of the Green Party on Suffolk Street in Dublin yesterday.
The meeting, which took place in a restaurant close to party headquarters, was an impromptu affair which took place as Mr Gormley was in the vicinity. He said he had no good news for protesters.
"There seems to be a belief among them, and it has been propagated by some of them, that I have a magic wand and I can make the road go away. I can't," he said.
"The situation is that this road was agreed to many years ago before I'd even come in. I don't even drive a car myself.
"I'm not a great enthusiast for motorways in general, but the fact is that my own function as Minister for the Environment is in the designation of national monuments.
"I don't have the good news that they want. The good news is that I'm trying as best I can that any archaeology that is done is done to the highest standards."
One of the protesters, JP Fay, from Trim, Co Meath, said he impressed upon the Minister an alternative route which he and others drew up which would be 3½ miles shorter than the proposed motorway through the Hill of Tara, and would also include a rail link.
"Our meeting was short. It was hello, thank you. He took my phone number and said he would look up the stuff that I sent to him already, but I think that it is snow and it will melt."
