The Dublin Airport Metro is in danger of repeating Luas mistakes of under-capacity, unconnected lines and incompatible track widths, writes Ruadhán Mac Eoin

€5 billion buys a lot of train, and at a projected cost of €4.88 billion, Dubliners need to get a properly integrated airport metro that should also free up key elements of the capital's existing infrastructure.

At present there are a number of "ghost" railways, which although linking heavily populated suburbs are simply not used for passenger services. Two of these routes, the Heuston to Connolly Station line under the Phoenix Park, and the Navan - Drogheda - Dublin route, have obvious potential in that one links the capital's two rail termini, while the other could half commuters journey-times traveling to Navan. The tracks are in place and little further engineering is required.

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IRISH-BASED wind energy company Airtricity, which was recently bought by Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE), is poised to begin construction of a £I.3bn (EURl.6bn) wind farm off the coast of Suffolk in England.

The so-called Greater Gabbard wind farm will be the world's largest offshore wind farm when completed in 2010. It received planning permission in February.

SSE has agreed to buy out the 50pc interest of its joint venture partner, Flour International, in the 504 megawatt (MW) project for £40m in cash. However, it intends sell the same stake later this year to raise more equity for the project.

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Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley yesterday signed into law a bill to delay a phosphorus ban by six months, until July 2010,

Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Montgomery), who authored the ban, had urged O'Malley to veto the delay legislation, which was requested by dish detergent makers. The bill was heavily debated during the session.

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (DCalvert) said O'Malley made the right decision and sought to play down Frosh's concerns about the negative effects a delay would have on the Chesapeake Bay.

"What you need is a balance . . . between the environment and economic development," Miller said.
© Washington Post

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US lists animal as 'threatened' by warming

Once a symbol of Arctic wildlife's fierce resilience, the polar bear is now so vulnerable to the ravages of global warming that the US government placed the creature on the endangered species list yesterday.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said the bears' habitat was literally melting below their feet. Bears depend almost exclusively on sea ice to hunt for ringed seals and other prey. Yet Arctic ice coverage fell to record low levels last year, and scientists predict it could decline another 30 percent by mid-century, he said.

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THE National Roads Authority is preparing to sue the contractor who built the Dublin Port Tunnel following a series of system failures.

Engineers are taking apart the tunnel's Scada safety system "piece by piece" as part of a review of operations which is expected to result in legal action.

The NRA has told Nishimatsu-Mowlem-Irishenco, the joint venture which built the tunnel, that the system must be replaced and the contractor will be expected to pay. If a dispute arises, the NRA has vowed to go to the courts.

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THE CHILDREN of landowners were coming into planners presenting unsuitable sites as "the only site available" to them from their parents, Kerry county manager Tom Curran said yesterday. This was quite unfair as it "put the gun" to planners' heads when other sites were available, he said.

Mr Curran appealed to councillors not to be unduly influenced by individual cases, but to look instead at the overall strategy for proper planning in the new county development plan. The capacity of the landscape had to be allowed to determine the number of houses allowed, and the same density could not be allowed in areas of prime special amenity as in other areas

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Plans to build a new town on the outskirts of Bray would only lead to further traffic congestion and perhaps even complete gridlock on the N11, according to a local councillor.

The proposed new town would be built to the west of Fassaroe and designed to take advantage of the suggested Luas extention.

Supporters of the plan say the new town would also be able to make use of its close proximity to both the N11 and M50 motorway.

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DÚN LAOGHAIRE-Rathdown County Council has been urged to shelve its two proposals for the redevelopment of the derelict public baths site. The call was made at a public meeting attended by 150 people in Dún Laoghaire last night. The meeting also agreed to hold a demonstration next month to highlight the concerns of local people.

In February, consultants presented councillors with two designs for the site along the East Pier to Sandycove.

"Concept A" would cost €129 million and involves a lagoon beach and a pedestrian bridge adjacent to the East Pier. An aquatic play area is intended for the old public baths site, alongside a civic space. It includes an underground car park with up to 500 spaces. "Concept B" would cost €92 million and involves a new promenade and sandy beach from the East Pier to the Newtownsmith section. It also includes a new water sports centre in Sandycove Park.

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THE u-turn by the Green Party in Government on its position on the need for a national waiver scheme for domestic waste charges will mean additional hardship for low income families and pensioners.

This is according to Joanna Tuffy, TD (Lab) who this week stated that the lack of a national waiver scheme is leading to unfairness and inequality amongst poor households because whether or not you get a waiver to wastes charges depends on where you live in the country.

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DUNLEER Community Development Board have been putting pressure on the Green Party to get behind the campaign to reopen the town's rail station.

When the coalalition party held its annual conference in Dundalk, members of the board met party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley and pressed on him the importance of the station to mid-Louth.

The board has written to lan Lumley, Heritage Officer with An Taisce requesting a meeting to discuss the station and the Dunleer town development.

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CITY bosses have been accused of failing to carrying out proper consultation before rezoning parts of Dublin to allow for billboard ads. Heritage watchdog An Taisce noted a map entitled Zones of Advertising Control has been adopted by Dublin City Council officials.

"Whereas, previously, planning policy has had a presumption against permitting new outdoor advertising billboards, this map now rezones various areas and roads of the city for billboards," An Taisce stated. The map first emerged when presented by Dublin City Council officials at oral hearings last October regarding JC Decaux and has now been published by Plan Magazine.

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PROPOSALS TO rezone land along the river Shannon for a marina, slipway, island and hotel, among other tourism related amenities, overlooking Lough Ree near Athlone, have been dropped by Westmeath County Council.

The council said the plan for the Hillquarter area of Coosan, which is a location set to benefit under the mid-Shannon tax reliefs, was dropped due to environmental considerations.

The council is, however, to go ahead with rezoning of the land for more than 100 "executive homes", each on one-sixth of an acre, which was originally part of the Hillquarter local area plan. Opponents of the tourism scheme have welcomed the dropping of the tourism related elements, but said the retained housing developments would be "just as bad".

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THE SIGHTS, sounds and smells of the Guinness brewery at St James's Gate in Dublin have been part and parcel of the Liberties for nearly 250 years - ever since Arthur Guinness himself first secured a 9,000-year lease on four acres of ground in 1759 for an annual rent of £45, including water rights.
The brewery has expanded substantially since then and now occupies 64 acres on either side of Thomas Street, stretching down to Victoria Quay on the River Liffey. It was from here that the Guinness barges transported kegs of stout downriver to the Lady Patricia and Lady Gwendolyn, moored at City Quay.

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FORMER TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern once complained that major road schemes were being held up "because of swans, snails and the occasional person hanging out of a tree". But now a price-tag has been put on the true value of our wildlife.

Whatever about swans and snails - and, in the case of one road scheme, the unglamorous Kerry slug - a new report commissioned by the Department of the Environment claims that the humble earthworm is worth €700 million per annum for the "services" it provides.

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ONE of the objectors to the proposed Bantry Regional Water Supply Scheme is concerned that Bantry and the Mealagh Valley area could be flooded as a result of the failure of the proposed dam at Glanbannoo, Bantry.

Mr. David Bollins, who lives at Donemark in Bantry, has called for a flood risk assessment to be undertaken by Cork County Council before work on the water scheme begins. Mr. Bollins is objecting to the proposed dam along with his neighbour, Mr Timothy Harrington.

On February 22, Judge McDonagh gave a judgement on the preliminary points that were raised and, according to the spokesperson for the objector, instructed that there be a "De Novo," or "new," hearing of all matters that had been before An Bord Pleanala in 2005-2006.

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