Call for Carrickmines inquiry after EU report

There has been a call for a Dáil inquiry into the routing of the M50 motorway through the medieval Carrickmines Castle in south Dublin after an expert EU report criticised the archaeological investigations conducted at the site.

Last night's Prime Time programme revealed the confidential report employed terms such as 'defective' and 'flawed' in relation to the work. However, an Irish Government response claimed the consultants made serious mistakes.

Labour MEP for Dublin, Prionsias De Rossa, who made a complaint to the EU Commission which resulted in the investigation, said that he hoped the castle could be saved but, at the very least, lessons had to be learned.

He said he was calling for a 'full Dáil inquiry' into the matter so that all issues related to the controversy could be 'thrashed out'.

Mr De Rossa said it was imperative that the debacle at Carrickmines did not occur again at places like the Hill of Tara, where it is planned to route another motorway.

EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom is currently considering both the expert report and Irish Government's response ahead of deciding whether tens of millions of funds should be withheld, as directives were not complied with.

A spokesman for the NRA would only say that they did not believe they would be penalised.

Carrickmines Castle is a ruined medieval fortress which was used by soldiers to protect the Pale from the native Irish in Wicklow, between the 12th and 17th Centuries.

It has become the site of a major battle, because an interchange of the M50 motorway is due to lead to its partial destruction.