M50 works halted amid legal row
Work on the Carrickmines section of Dublin’s M50 motorway will remain halted while a court decides if emergency legislation allowing it to go ahead is constitutional.
The High Court had already stopped all work around the Carrickmines Castle site until 11am today, but that period has been extended until 4pm tomorrow.
However Ms Justice Mary Laffoy is not expected to allow any work by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council until an injunction application is fully heard.
The action is being taken by Dublin conservationist Dominic Dunne who claims the National Monuments Act (2004) – which paved the way for the partial destruction of the walls of the medieval fort – is unconstitutional.
Legal submissions were heard today by Ms Justice Laffoy in the High Court and Dunne’s lawyers are expected to outline the constitutional arguments in their case tomorrow.
The ’Carrickminders’ conservation group first began sit-in protests at the 13th Century site on August 31st 2002 and a string of legal battles have since further delayed the project.
However work resumed last week under the new legislation for three days until it was halted again by the High Court.
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council claims delays have added €20m to the estimated €596m cost of the Ballinteer-Shankil route, which will complete the M50 motorway from Bray to Dublin Airport.
The project was originally due to open in October and had a new completion date of August 2005 until current work was stopped last week by Justice Michael Peart in the High Court.
