Multi-nationals circle closer around Tara

international | history and heritage | news report

Thursday August 24, 2006 21:34

by admin - TaraWatch

info at tarawatch dot org

Wrecking Irish Heritage is Good for International Trade

Polish workers are being headhunted to help clear a path and build the road through the Tara complex. They are being headhunted by Irish-Spanish consortium, called Eurolink, with the help of Irish trade unions. The winner of the tendering process will supply half the money for the M3 but will be able to operate two toll booths on it, for 30-40 years. Most of this money will not be returned into the public purse, but will leave the country, as will many of the workers who come here to build it, along with their fat paycheques.

The excavations continue on the M3 route through the Tara - Skryne Valley, which was designed by a Scottish engineer. They are being performed by Archaeological Consultancy Services Limited, who have hired a large number of foreign workers to do the dirty work: http://www.acsltd.ie/ Rumours of bad practice are rife, with finds being hidden from the public. The NRA Project Archaeologist has taken a nice long holiday, so media are aunble to get answers at the moment.

Excavations are scheduled to be completed in early 2007. But construction companies are lining up to get started already..

M3 Clonee - Kells : NRA Announcement
"Tenders were received in February 2005 and following their evaluation the NRA announced on the 13th July that the EuroLink Consortium (SIAC Construction Ltd and Cintra - Concesiones de Infraestrucutras de Transporte SA) had been identified as the Tenderer with the most economically advantageous Tenders. The Authority has entered into discussions with the EuroLink Consortium with a view to appointing it as the provisional Preferred Tenderer."
http://www.nra.ie/PublicPrivatePartnership/ProjectTrack...ells/
http://www.cintra.es/index.asp
http://www.siac.ie

The roadbuilding programme in Ireland is attracting engineers, workers, and financiers from all around the world. We have seen in the GAMA story how many of these workers are being exploited, which is truly modern slavery in one sense. But the other side of the story is that the Irish people are being exploited, as their heritage and resources are unconscionably cleared away by euro-happy temporary visitors from the EU, who will happily take any job they are given. The Sunday Tribune recently ran a story about how SIAC Construction is actively holding job fairs in Poland in an attempt to hire the necessary manpower to cut through Tara:

"EIGHT THOUSAND Polish workers vied last week for 400 jobs in Irish construction, in the first ever overseas exhibition run purely for construction by Jobs Ireland.
Eleven companies, as well as the Construction Industry Federation and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, exhibited on Thursday and Friday in the Sheraton Warsaw Hotel. With queues starting at 7.30am on Friday, the exhibition opened an hour earlier than its scheduled 11am starting time.
Among those exhibiting was Ireland’s largest construction firm, Siac. Around 15% of the company’s 350 staff are non-Irish, and Siac already employs 25 Polish people directly. General manager John Stack said Siac was focusing on senior staff positions for engineers and quantity surveyors with up to 12 years experience. “We’ve had a lot of younger people here” he said, “but a thinner supply of older ones.”
Siac is involved in the M3 project, and Siac said it would need more than 40 senior more staff members for that. He was seeking more than 10 staff for the widening of the M50."
FULL STORY: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hilloftara/message/1262

TaraWatch is calling on the public to make their views known to the Spanish and Polish embassies here in Ireland:

Polish Embassy
http://www.polishembassy.ie/index2.htm
5 Ailesbury Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4 + 353 1 283 0855

The Spanish Embassy
17a Merlyn Park
Ballsbridge
Dublin 4
Tel: 01 283 9900/01 269 1640
Fax: 01 269 1854
E.Mail: embespie@mail.mae.es

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A demonstration is being planned against the NRA at Chester Beatty Library on Thur 31st Aug beginning at 8/8.30am. However, this time may switch to noon. Stay tuned for further notice.
http://indymedia.ie/article/78056