UPROAR, the group opposing a second runway at Dublin Airport, has said it supports Fine Gael's proposal to look into a second airport for the greater Dublin area.

Portmarnock-based group said it does not endorse the location of a second airport at a site near Ballyboughal, as proposed by a West of Ireland consortium.

UPROAR said the town of Ashbourne had reason to be concerned about the new proposal and it does not want to shove its problems onto another community.

It favours a location to the south-west of Dublin.

But the organisation is pleased by Fine Gael leader's Enda Kenny TD proposal for a feasibility study on a second Dublin airport and Labour's support for that proposal.

An UPROAR spokesperson said Ryanair chief, Michael O'Leary 'got his sums wrong'.

This was when he rejected the proposal as 'insane' and a waste of money'.

UPROAR believes a feasibility study will show a second airport in Dublin will be a 'better bet' than an ever-expanding Dublin Airport.

____________

'Road rage' erupts over Airport Masterplan map.

Fears that roads on map will cut through St Margaret's

BY JOHN MANNING

Photo: The Church in St. Margarets Village...fears that roads shown on the Airport Masterplan map will cut through their community. Pic: Kieran Corigan

A CONTROVERSIAL map that forms part of the Dublin Airport Masterplan is causing a certain amount of 'road rage' in the St Margaret's area who fear that roads shown on the map will cut through their community.

Last week, the council's Transportation Department moved to quell those fears by presenting the map to the Balbriggan/Swords Area Committee and assuring councillors that the lines were only 'indicative' and did not denote the route of any future road.

Cllr Michael Kennedy (FF), who had raised the matter at a previous meeting said the he was aware of a 'serious problem people have in the area, with the map at the moment'.

Cllr Clare Daly (SP) said that locals were concerned that work had already begun on the new roads without consultation with the St Margaret's community and Cllr Tom Kelleher (Lab) reminded the council of a previous commitment not to interfere with sports facility in the village.

Senior Executive Officer in the Transportation Department, Peter Caulfield told the meeting that work had not begun on any new road and that there may be some confusion with 'essential repair work' being carried out by the DAA on its own road network. He said that the process is at a very early stage and that the lines on the map were purely indicative.

The transport official said there was no detail design or proposal for the route of the new road network Dublin Airport and that consultants had been recently appointed to the project.

Mr Caulfield said there would be further consultation with locals as soon as there was something to report and some progress is made in the design of the network.

He did warn however that the project was very dependent on heavy investment from central government, to the tune of € 160 million.

Mr Caulfield said it could be eight to ten months before 'anything meaningful' was ready to present to local residents and to councillors.

He reassured councillors saying:'Let me be absolutely dear - nothing will happen in St Margaret's area without very serious discussions and consensus with the St Margaret's people.'

____________

Now a third delay on second runway

By JOHN MANNING

AN Bord Pleanála's decision on Dublin's second runway is to see a third delay with the board asking for further information from the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA).

The DAA has until March 5 to respond to the request which asks for further information on noise contours, aircraft noise, ground noise and nightnoise.

The board has also asked for discussions with the Environmental Protection Agency on whether a licence is required for an engine testing area.

A new site notice and new newspaper notices are also required by An Bord
Pleanala because those issued so far were not in compliance with statutory requirements, according to the board.

Details of any proposed increase in night-flights when the second runway is on-stream has also been requested by An Bord Pleanala.

The DAA intends to comply with all of Bord Pleanala's requests in the matter.

But even when it does An Bord Pleanala has said it may re-open oral hearings on the case.