Madam, - The dilution of the powers of the Dublin Transport Authority in relation to land use and planning in the greater Dublin area (Nov 10th) may well be a fatal blow to the campaign to reinstate rail services to Co Meath .
Since reinstatement of Navan's rail link was first announced in 1998, repeated announcements of the line's reopening have been undermined by the complete absence of a land use strategy at local level in the county.
With a new county development plan for Meath and several local area plans due before January, which will provide for 10,000 new homes in the county, an opportunity has been lost to ensure that these developments complement the case for the reintroduction of rail services to Meath.
These 10,000 new homes could have been built at strategic locations along the route of the old railway to ensure that the critical mass of population would be localised at stations along the route.
Doing so would have made reinstatement of Navan's rail link inevitable - the current shotgun approach of Meath County Council merely continues to undermine it.
Minister for Transport Martin Cullen must ensure that all county councils in the region have their development plans subject to approval by Dublin Transport Authority. - Is mise,
PROINSIAS Mac FHEARGHUSA Meath on Track PRO Navan, Co Meath.