Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Transport his views on the consequences if UNESCO tells the Government to move the M3, the Dublin-Navan railway and the electrical connector; and if he has received advice on whether his proposal to run power lines along the M3 requires a new EIA. [28648/09]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The nomination of sites for consideration as UNESCO World Heritage sites is a matter for my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The position on this matter is as set out in the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's response today to a Question from the Deputy on this subject.

As Minister for Transport, I have responsibility for overall policy and funding in relation to the national roads programme element of Transport 21. The construction, improvement and maintenance of individual national roads projects, including the M3, is a matter for the National Roads Authority (NRA) under section 17 of the Roads Act, 1993, as amended by the Roads Act 2007, in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. Work on the M3 motorway is well underway and is expected to be complete in 2010.

With regard to the proposed Dublin to Navan railway line, the preferred route for the line follows the existing disused railway track bed between Clonsilla (junction with the Maynooth line) and Navan. This route is approximately 7km to the west of Tara. This project will be the subject of an application to An Bord Pleanála for a railway order, and all relevant environmental and other issues will be addressed in its consideration of that application. Issues relating to the north south electrical connector are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.