A5: Fair compensation needed for route landowners
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said it was an "extremely disappointing day" but added she was not giving up on delivering a safer A5.
More than 50 people have died on the A5 since 2006 and campaigners have called for the road to be upgraded.The road is the Northern Ireland part of the major arterial route that connects the north-west of the island - Donegal and Londonderry - to Dublin, via towns including Strabane, Omagh and Aughnacloy.The dual carriageway scheme was first announced back in 2007, but has been beset by a number of delays.
The State of Us: The A5 upgrade has been blocked… againJudge rules against the long-delayed A5 road project A5 ruling shows impact of Stormont climate change legislation
The 58-mile (94km) £1.7bn project was given the green light by Stormont ministers in October last year.Speaking to BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme Mr McClenaghan said "land was taken away" from farmers last October and "they have not been able to use that land....the level of compensation has not yet even been determined and farmers have been reluctant to accept offers which may have been made because they don't know what the final costs will be"."Our feeling is that if our farmers are to be displaced they should be fairly compensated," he added. "Twenty years this has been going on and the important thing is that the A5 is safer for all the people that use it". "We need to get on with improving the A5 road and we do not disagree with that."It's ridiculous how long it's been left," he said.He said there are 330 farmers affected."This is there home where they've lived, there's an attachment on the land that goes passed any value or compensation amount and there are other farmers that want to get on with their business.
'Chilling' comments for victims' families
Stephen Kelly's father Terry was killed instantly when the van he was a passenger in left the road at Bready, on the stretch of the A5 between Strabane and Derry.Mr Kelly said he was disappointed by the decision, which he described as "the latest episode" in the "disaster" of trying to deliver a critical piece of infrastructure.He said the judge's comment that the delay would cause more loss of life was "chilling"."The judge is trying to make clear there is a strong moral case for this to be done … but as a family member, to hear a member of the judiciary saying it's very likely more people are going to die as a result of his decision yesterday didn't go down very well with me certainly."Mr Kelly said the judge's request for the department to provide more information "did leave the door open" for the scheme to progress in the future, which was "one thing to take away".
The Chair of Stormont's Infrastructure Committee, Deborah Erskine, said there were worries over how new road projects will be delivered."We are going to have to look at climate change legislation. It has huge implications for major road infrastructure projects across NI," she told Good Morning Ulster She added that there were "major questions" going forward for the Department of Infrastructure. "Why was land ripped up and made unrecognisable while a high court judgement was underway? And when will these farmers received this land back? "I've had farmers who've been chatting to me, very worried about those facts," she said.
What happened in court?
The High Court judgement blocking the upgrade of the A5 road - because the plans do not comply with government climate change targets - shows the reach and impact of Stormont's climate change legislation - but the judgement is clear that shortcomings in the project can be remedied.Justice McAlinden urged officials to make "concerted efforts" to address them so a safer road can be built.A solicitor for the Alternative A5 Alliance campaign group, which brought the successful case, said his clients' efforts had been "vindicated" and it was an important day for the environment.Safety campaigners from the Enough is Enough group said they were disappointed with the decision but added the judgement provides a "roadmap" for how the upgrade could proceed.
'It's certainly not the end'
Kieran Kennedy, chair of Strabane Business Improvement Districts group, said Monday's judgement was a shock."We in the north west depend on infrastructure to carry goods along the A5 corridor...this is just a severe blow to business in Strabane and the north west in general," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme."I think about the families who have lost loved ones. There are obviously going to be more families affected in the future by this judgement."Mr Kennedy said it is now time to "work to try and make sure we get everything lined up, to make sure this road can go ahead."He he it was a set back but "not the end".
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
5 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Simon Harris ‘did all he could' on child scoliosis case, Donohoe says
The Tánaiste 'did all he could' in engaging with health officials about a child with scoliosis who later died, a senior minister has said. Simon Harris has faced calls to resign over unmet pledges around child spinal surgery waiting lists made several years ago. Advertisement It comes amid heightened scrutiny on the matter after the death of nine-year-old Harvey Morrison, who suffered from scoliosis, on July 29th. His parents, Gillian Sherratt and Stephen Morrison, learned last August that Harvey had been removed from Children Health Ireland's (CHI) scoliosis waiting list without their knowledge. After they publicly raised their son's case, Harvey, from Clondalkin, received spinal surgery last December after waiting for years. By then, his spinal curve had reached the point where it could not be fully corrected. Advertisement While he spent years on a waiting list, his spinal curve caused his rib cage to twist around his lungs and heart, severely restricting his breathing. While health minister in 2017, Mr Harris pledged that no child would wait more than four months for scoliosis treatment. Opposition politicians have joined Harvey's mother and father in calling for the Fine Gael leader's resignation, further criticising Mr Harris for failing to meet his parents. Asked if he stood by his party leader on Wednesday, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said Mr Harris has a commitment to supporting families dealing with scoliosis. Advertisement 'Minister Harris, as minister and then as taoiseach and Tánaiste, when he became aware of the needs of the particular family in question here, did all he could in terms of engaging with the Department of Health, in terms of engaging with the HSE, and I'm very conscious that we have a family who have lost a loved one who are grieving at the moment, and we have to respect that and allow them to make the points that they believe are important. 'But alongside that, Simon and the Government have placed huge focus on how we support young children with scoliosis. 'We always want to do more. We always want to make more progress. But additional resources, additional clinical support and operating theatres have all been made available to focus in on supporting those children.' He added: 'Those who are waiting for care have seen a reduction in how long they're waiting. Advertisement 'We're seeing a reduction in the number of people on the waiting list. 'But we know we need to do more, and we will always continue to prioritise this as a vital health issue.' Pressed on whether Mr Harris should be accountable for failures to meet the commitment to cut waiting lists to four months, and resign, Mr Donohoe said: 'We're all accountable through the appearances that we make in front of the Dáil, the questions we deal with in relation to matters of health or any aspect of public policy.'
BreakingNews.ie
6 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Teenagers behind rise in racist attacks in Ireland, special rapporteur says
Racist attacks in Ireland have intensified in recent months, with teenagers and young people perpetrating the majority of incidents, the special rapporteur on racial equality has said. Dr Ebun Joseph, chief executive of the Institute of Antiracism and Black Studies, who is also the special rapporteur for the National Plan Against Racism, said that a rise in incidents of crime involving members of minority communities is becoming a national crisis. Advertisement Recent attacks on members of the Indian community have been widely condemned. People take part in a silent assembly for migrant workers and their families outside the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) The Ireland India Council believes there is an organised social media campaign against the Indian community in Ireland and the number of violent attacks has intensified since January this year. A large crowd gathered outside the Department of the Taoiseach on Wednesday for a silent assembly in support of migrant workers. Dr Joseph said that racism and racial crime is not a 'new thing' in Ireland. Advertisement 'It's been there. The black community, the Roma community, the new Traveller community have experienced racism in Ireland for years,' she said. 'This is not a new fight but in the last few months it has intensified. What is scary is that right now we have teenagers actually perpetrating these acts. 'Young people are being made to think that violence against another person because of the colour of their skin or where they are from or their accent, that to feel that is right to do is a major problem. This is national crisis.' A protester taking part in a silent assembly for migrant workers and their families outside the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) Shashank Chakerwarti, of Desi Community Against Racism, said the protest also honours the dignity of victims of racist attacks. Advertisement 'Another person was severely lacerated on his eyebrow just yesterday. His brow was cut into two pieces. Images of that sends chills down your body. 'We want to send a clear message to the Taoiseach (Micheal Martin) that you need to control this teenage violence and criminal activity that is going on in Dublin. 'There's been a lot of content directly taken from the UK narrative, of migrants coming to Ireland via boats, but that is not the case. 'The far right are using that narrative and are applying it here which is completely incorrect. Advertisement 'There is a severe frustration that some individuals are feeling, especially in deprived communities and areas where you don't see a lot of investment and local services. 'They feel that third country people are taking their jobs and houses, but that is not the case at all.' He also called for the Government to introduce a campaign to encourage people to report hate crimes. 'We need to (educate) people on how to report racist crime, but there is no direct engagement with communities about this,' he added. Advertisement People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy was among those to take part in the protest. He said it is important to take a stand against racist violence. 'What we have seen on our streets over the past number of weeks is Indian people and others targeted with violent attacks because of the colour of their skin and where they are perceived to come from,' he said. People take part in a silent assembly for migrant workers and their families outside the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) 'We need to push back against those who are pushing the racist lies and propaganda which is creating an environment where these attacks are taking place.' Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said that racism has 'crept' into Irish society. 'We are at the point now where it is quite normalised for people to be racist in what they say on social media,' the Wicklow TD added. Ireland Finance Minister O'Dowd condemns 'racist' gangs pa... Read More 'It is important we have events and days like these where we stand and say this is not okay, it is not acceptable for racist attacks. 'There are racist elements who are allowed to say what they want without any come back. 'Our health system would collapse without many migrant communities and having that conversation of the value of migrants and also reflect on Irish people who have been migrants, it's something Irish people are very familiar with.'
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Police ethnicity guidance: How will it work and what are the challenges?
Trouble on the streets, rising tension in communities, and angry scenes outside immigration hotels - all fuelled by rumours on social media. Moments like these are what police chiefs and the government are keen to across England and Northern Ireland last summer were partly triggered by misinformation on social media, which said the man responsible for the murder of three girls in Southport was an illegal in recent months, police have been inconsistent on when they have disclosed the ethnicity of a a car drove into a crowd at a bus parade for Liverpool FC in the city in May, police were quick to say a white man had been arrested over the incident to defuse any Warwickshire Police was not so forthcoming with details earlier this month when two men in Nuneaton were charged in connection with an alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl. Reform UK claimed the men were asylum seekers, and reports suggested they were Afghans - but this was not confirmed by police. This led to claims of a "cover-up" - something Warwickshire Police fiercely denied. The force said it simply followed police guidance, which at the time did not include revealing the ethnicity and immigration status of ongoing debate has led to an update in police guidance on what to disclose when someone is charged with a crime. The National Police Chiefs' Council, along with the College of Policing, have come up with the advice for forces across the UK. It states they should consider revealing the suspect's ethnicity and nationality in high-profile and sensitive investigations and how will it work in practice? The guidance says if someone is arrested, officers should provide only the suspect's sex and age. Police want to be certain there are no legal issues surrounding disclosing more details, and the decision to do so is up to individual the suspect is charged, it says police can provide their name, date of birth and has been updated to say police should consider revealing the race and nationality. The BBC understands this will apply when the case is of public interest or involves a serious offence - such as murder, rape, or an assault involving numerous victims. However, there is no single definition of what constitutes a serious offence and this would need assessing on a case-by-case it will be up to the individual police force to decide what it discloses, but decisions are likely to be based on factors such as the risk of local unrest or inflammatory social media rumours. What are the pitfalls? There are concerns among some police officers that revealing these details could be Metropolitan Police officer told the BBC: "Stating whether someone is black or brown could fuel the far-right and racism towards certain communities, rather than calm it down."Another said it was important not to disclose more information than is necessary to avoid influencing a future trial - although revealing a suspect's race and nationality is unlikely to do is also up to the force whether they give these details even earlier - such as when someone is arrested - if for example they sense potential trouble in the immediate aftermath of a high-profile, public incident could be when the risk of online speculation and tensions is highest, but a charging decision may not be made for at least a day or will need to assess whether there are any legal issues in releasing more information at the point of arrest, such as the right to a fair trial and presumption of innocence, as well as the suspect's right to privacy. The former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Sir Peter Fahy, believes it will cause suspicion and misunderstanding if police release some details in certain cases and not others."People could create a story which isn't true because they've disclosed certain information and it's a dangerous road to go down," he he argues police are in an impossible situation because social media is fast moving, and officers need to quash falsehoods as quickly as will be up to the Home Office whether a suspect's immigration status will be some police officers are concerned this could cause tension between the government and police chiefs.A senior police officer said: "Policing should be a job for police officers and not ministers."The new guidance is not permanent yet, with the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) - the official source of professional practice for policing - currently reviewing it.
