Vol. 513 No. 3
111 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands her views on the report by a leading hydro-geologist that the amended road widening proposals for Glen of the Downs, County Wicklow, will seriously interfere with the water table, drown the roots of oak tree plantations to the west and deplete the ash and hazel areas of water as well as causing landslide; and the action, if any, she will take as guardian of this area. [2359/00]
When Wicklow County Council initially proposed to widen the N11 through the Glen of the Downs, Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department – then the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Office of Public Works – expressed its concerns about the impact of the scheme on the nature reserve. Their primary concerns related to the area of land required for the road, the number of trees to be felled and the impacts on the stream and wet woodland on the eastern side of the nature reserve. As a result the county council made several major adjustments to the road scheme, realigning it away from the stream and narrowing it by several metres.
I am aware that submissions on hydrogeology were given in evidence by the objectors to the road scheme to the High Court during a judicial review action concerning the proposed road-widening scheme through the Glen of the Downs which was heard in 1999. Wicklow County Council assured the Court that their road design scheme would take account of all concerns raised. The High Court was satisfied that the issues relating to hydrology were properly addressed in the environmental impact assessment. A permeable layer will be included in the road construction to ensure that groundwater flow is not impeded by the road. The High Court and the Supreme Court have held that a valid environmental impact assessment has been carried out for the proposed road scheme.
