Sir, - Your correspondent, Jessica Classon (January 13th) provides us with an interesting example of the type of self-delusion that has surrounded much of the debate on the Glen of the Downs. Ms Classon describes the woodland as "pristine". She also would bet "that the wood itself is cleaner than any State or council woodland within 50 miles of Dublin". She would be well advised to keep away from any betting office with such a wager.
The reality is that the woodlands of the Glen of the Downs is now littered with a variety of eyesore structures, miscellaneous posters, treetop platforms and other debris which has been accumulated by the so-called eco-warriors. I would challenge Ms Glasson to produce evidence of similar litter or debris in any other State forest. Certainly the woodlands at the Glen of the Downs is now not only far from pristine but it is in the filthiest condition than it has ever been.
The facts are that the protestors have now had their day in court, indeed several days in both the High Court and the Supreme Court. They have lost their legal battles. The structures which they have built in the Glen of the Downs are not only offensive but illegal. The delays on completing the road improvements on the N11 arising from this particular protest will cost millions. No doubt the legal costs of the various actions to date will be very substantial. The road improvements at this particular section of the roadway, far from being, in Ms Glasson's words, a surrender to "cars at any cost", are necessitated by public safety. This is a highly dangerous piece of roadway. Over the last number of years it has claimed many lives.
I reiterate the above facts not because they will be of any particular interest to Ms Classon but they will, I believe, be of interest:
to taxpayers who will end up picking up the bills for the Glen of the Downs protest;
to the thousands of commuters who daily have to undergo the frustration and inconvenience of huge traffic delays along this stretch of the N11;
to my constituents who have to endure the inconvenience and danger of traffic which is decanted from the N11 on to the secondary road system running from Bray through Greystones, Kilcoole and Newcastle in an attempt to avoid the log-jams on the N11;
above all to people who are interested in improving traffic safety on a piece of roadway which has already claimed a very significant number of lives and which has witnessed an escalating and unacceptably high level of major traffic accidents.
In the matter of the Glen of the Downs the chattering classes have had their say and it is now time that a little sanity was returned to the debate. - Yours, etc.,
Dick Roche TD, Herbert Road, Bray, Co Wicklow.