Madam, - The new M3 motorway is essential to the continued social good and economic prosperity of not only Meath, which it runs through, but also my native Cavan, and Cos Fermanagh, Donegal and parts of Leitrim.
Whilst being sold to the public as a badly needed relief for the hard-pressed commuter, this new motorway, perhaps combined with a parallel railway and an east/west link road from Dundalk to Sligo, has the potential to open up the aforementioned counties to as yet unseen inward investment, as well as encouraging those native businesses with entrepreneurial spirit to expand their horizons.
The debate about the future of the landscape around the historic complex at Tara is a very important one.
However, this debate, and the subsequent reaction to the Minister's recent announcement on the route for the M3, seems to continually ignore one of the most startling components of the planned road: its unprecedented double tolling.
People from north of Navan, in new commuter towns such as Kells, Virginia, Mullagh and Bailieborough, will pay twice to use this road.
This is despite the fact that Irish people pay some €4 billion in motoring-related taxes according to the Government's own figures, whilst the Government only spends €1.7 billion of this on our roads infrastructure.
The presence of tolls will also be a disincentive for the building of a railway, as it will then no longer be in the interests of either National Toll Roads or the Government which also benefits from the charges.
No one is against profit so long as it is produced ethically and used towards good goals, but when one sees the National Toll Roads group declaring €28 million in profits this year, built on a 30% rise in turnover to €275 million, then it is patently obvious there is a rip-off in process and the consumer is at a loss.
A double loss, in fact, as the same consumer is also a taxpayer who is being asked to pay twice; his or her road and fuel tax, and then the toll.
Tolls will stunt use of the new routes being built around this island, they will help to continue to constrain growth in the regions, destine commuters in Meath and Cavan to more lost hours of misery, as well as trigger inflation which will damage our economy - Yours, etc,
SEAN MCKIERNAN (Jnr.),
Virginia Road,
Bailieborough,
Co Cavan.
Madam, - The decision to put the M3 toll road through the Tara valley casts shame on Dick Roche, the Government and Ireland.
That a nation with such history could even think about committing such cultural vandalism shows just how little our heritage counts when it comes to making money.
There are alternative routes that would avoid Tara.
There is a railway line to Navan that could be rebuilt. Kells Council was talking about the need for a bypass 40 years ago. - Yours, etc,
STEPHEN HOBBS,
Hernes Cottage,
Kells,
Co Meath.