AA5A Press Release - 11^th January 2011

The Alternative A5 Alliance (AA5A) would like to thank Mr Costello for his invitation to visit him at his Dáil office today to present their view of the proposed dual carriageway from Dublin to Counties Donegal and Derry which would bisect County Tyrone, running parallel to the existing A5 road from Aughnacloy to Newbuildings.  The AA5A has said from the start that this road is an extravagant waste of taxpayers money. €500million of this is to come from ROI funds.  This is only for the 86km within the Northern Ireland borders and does not cover the construction from Dublin to the border at Aughnacloy or the cost of construction through Donegal. 

Contrary to the views of some local politicians, a country’s wealth is not based on infrastructure improvement such as roads, shopping centres, hotels and leisure centres. A country’s wealth is secured by what it produces which is of value, either to it’s own people or for export.  Ireland’s biggest indigenous industry is the food sector.  Food is not grown on tarmac by roads contractors, rather, it is grown on the land – by farmers.  Therefore the most important thing that governments of this island can do now is to send a positive message to farmers and the families of Ireland by discarding this unnecessary road scheme – which no one can afford – and redirecting any remaining funds towards our more basic needs – a reliable water supply system, adequate hospital facilities and a secure food supply chain for coming generations. 

If there is money left over to spend on transport, then it should be directed toward a sustainable system that allows for the movement of freight and personnel in an economically viable way. Given the rising cost of oil and the need to reduce CO2 emissions, this system cannot be roads-based.

 Therefore, an upgrade of the existing route between Dublin and Donegal/Derry is all that is required – if that is affordable at this time of financial constraint, both here and in the UK.

 We would ask that Deputy Costello would raise this issue at a meeting of the Transport Committee as soon as possible so that all parties can make their positions clear.

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SDLP

The SDLP addressed the issue of the A5 WTC in our recent finance document "Partnership and Economic Recovery" http://www.sdlp.ie/images/files/SDLP_-_Partnership_and_Economic_Recovery.pdf. In this document we stated that we believe that the major strategic programme planned for the A5 should proceed. We believe that the A5 is vital to the future economic investment of all the north western counties, including Derry, Donegal and Tyrone which are amongst the most disadvantaged on our island. This road will make it easier to get goods out and to get tourists in. There are also major road safety reasons for the upgrade; not to mention the boost to the hard-pressed construction industry for the major building phase.

AA5A Visit to Dáil Eireann to meet Joe Costello TD - Labour Party Transport Minister

Lunch in Dublin having met up with Noel Murphy from Dontbypassthebypass, Monaghan

The Banner is Up!

Some of the crew with our Banner.

Photo Shoot - Our 4 delegates, John Dunbar and Ciaran McClean of the AA5A together with Our Friends, Vincent Salafia - http://www.savenewgrange.org/ - and Noel Murphy - http://www.dontbypassthebypass.com/ just before going in to their meeting with Joe Costello.

More of the crew.

A pleasant ride back to Newry on the train - wouldn't it be great if we could go all the way home!

Press Release ahead of Next week's AA5A visit to Dublin at the invite of Mr Joe Costello TD.

The Alternative A5 Alliance (AA5A) group welcomes the invitation from the Labour Party spokesperson on Transport, Mr Joe Costello.  John Dunbar, Chairman of the group said that, as a group we would firstly like to thank Mr Costello for adding some much needed balance to a debate that has been fairly one sided to date.  Both Sinn Fein and DUP representatives at Ministerial level (as well as the smaller parties of Government) have been saying quite matter-of-factly that the A5 is a “done deal” and that is that.  Joe’s comments that any new administration in the South would need to look again at taking a half a billion out of the Southern economy at a time of a national economic emergency puts paid to that notion and affords those of us who have been trying to get our reasoned arguments across an opportunity to highlight the folly of such a proposal.

It is the hope of the AA5A group that no more money will be foolishly spent on consultants for work that has no hope of ever being carried out.  Up to £40 million has already been squandered on this “ghost road”, of that 9 million euro has come from the public purse in the South.  Had that money being used to upgrade the current A5, the citizens of the affected area and users of the road from Southern Ireland, would have a much enhanced motoring experience.

All parties of the Northern Ireland Government should now recognise the economic realities of   2011 on the Island of Ireland.  Projects predicated on the premise of cheap credit are now redundant.  The economic theory of consume, construct at any cost has come to a grinding halt in both parts of the Island.  Joe Costello and his colleagues should be congratulated for their commitment to the environment in Co Tyrone as well as saving the taxpayers of the Republic vast sums of money.

Addendum:

In the light of the ‘Water Crisis’ both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic, it seems like unforgivable folly to waste over £1billion on an unnecessary road when it is clear that many millions will be required to secure a safe water supply for all citizens north and south as a matter of urgency.

Thank you for coming Christian!

Banner and Poster Day along the A5

GET THE MESSAGE?

CYCLE CARAVAN AGAINST THE PROPOSED NEW A5 - SEPTEMBER 18-19 2010

MONAGHAN COURTHOUSE - THE START

OMAGH COURTHOUSE

NEWTOWNSTEWART

UNA'S MESSAGE

THERE THEY GO!

SUPPORT VEHICLE WITH BALLOON MESSAGES

BADGER CAME TOO!

NEWBUILDINGS - END OF THE ROAD

CLIMATE CAMP IRELAND - VICTORIA BRIDGE

CLIMATE CAMP VIDEOS

SEE THE FIRST VIDEO FROM THE PRE-CAMP WORK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJdu_mEPyIY

SECOND VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMlFTyjQejY

More videos;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbXPIQLmS8I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhRE-fdoYfk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bk7dO5SzpqI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts9wYDtS8ic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyLEyxkT7rg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kzs1ObYHqo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIGwnccp8ys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQkBNtJsjjI

Irish Times features Climate Camp - http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0816/1224276886729.html

Climate Camp are coming to Co Tyrone to support the campaign of the Alternative A5 Alliance against the proposed new A5 dual carriageway which would destroy our environmental heritage.

3RD OF AUGUST 2010 - THE LONG FIELD AWAITS CLIMATE CAMP IRELAND

SEE MAP BELOW FOR LOCATION OF CLIMATE CAMP IRELAND 2010 IN CO TYRONE

Successful AA5A concert, in Newtownstewart

On Thursday April 15^th, a well-attended, Country-and-Western concert was held in Newtownstewart, at the ‘Newtownstewart 2000 Centre’, in aid of the funds of the Alternative A5 Alliance (AA5A).

The Concert opened with The Senators, a 3-piece band that also acted as the backing group for most of the evening’s acts.  Kenny Archer, compere for the evening, was introduced and sang ‘When my blue moon turns to gold again’.  He—in turn—introduced local talent, Joe King, ‘Link-box Joe’ who sang 2 songs. Next came Ann Moore, then Ally Harron and Marion Curry.  After that came ‘Country Features’, a male/female duet.

The first half finished and the Chairman of AA5A, John Dunbar then introduced Lord Laird of Artigarvan who spoke against the proposed dual carriageway.  “Do we really want to go down in history as the last place in Europe to build a motorway through the heart of a farming community?” he asked, and “is this the legacy we want to leave for our children?”  “There is no doubt that we have a very substantial case against this proposed blot on our landscape,” he assured the audience.  In relation to AA5A’s railway proposal, he reflected that Tyrone and Donegal had a very innovative railway history and rail is surely the direction in which to go for the future!

The second-half of the concert included Lisa Stanley, John Glenn and Kenny Archer.

Impresario, Robbie Donald then got on the stage to thank the artists for performing and John Glenn finished his performance with ‘On the Tennessee border’ and ‘Before I met you’.  Kenny Archer finished the concert, doing what he does best and yodeled his way through ‘Swiss Chalet’.

The event was supported by around 500 people and has helped to raise substantial funds for the continued campaign against the A5WTC.  

HEARSE RALLY 3RD JULY 2010 - AUGHNACLOY TO NEWBUILDINGS

READY FOR OFF AT AUGHNACLOY

CAMPER 'OFFICE' IN AUGHNACLOY

THE SHOW ARRIVES IN BALLYGAWLEY

PITSTOP -KELLY'S INN, GARVAGHY

OMAGH ARRIVAL

IN THE SHADOW OF THE COURTHOUSE

SOME OF THE CREW IN OMAGH

STRABANE HALT

MEMBERS OF CLIMATE CAMP AND AA5A AT NEWBUILDINGS- THE END OF THE ROAD!

Around 400 information leaflets were distributed to the public to make them aware of the issues involved in building this new road as opposed to upgrading the existing A5.