The Government has rejected criticism over delays to the construction of the South Eastern Motorway.
In a statement released today, Fine Gael spokeswoman Ms Olivia Mitchell accused the Government of squandering money on a High Court battle between the Department of the Environment and the Department of Agriculture over compensation to Leopardstown Racecourse, which she claimed was delaying the construction of the motorway.
However, a spokesman for the Department of the Environment refuted the allegations, saying that the dispute was between the National Roads Authority and the Irish Horse Racing Association and not between the Government departments.
"The departments have met with the agencies involved in an attempt to facilitate a resolution to the dispute without going to court," the spokesman said. "The Government is anxious to see the construction of the motorway advanced as soon as possible."
The statutory process for the South Eastern Motorway began when the motorway order and EIS were published in 1997. The motorway is the final leg of Dublin's C Ring, taking traffic from the proposed Southern Cross Motorway through some of the State's most expensive residential land to connect with the M11.