Clare County Council to debate stripping An Taisce of status

A local authority is to move to reduce An Taisce's influence in planning matters by having it stripped of its special status under planning law.

Clare Co Council is to debate a motion on Monday asking the Minister for the Environment to remove An Taisce's prescribed status where planning authorities are required to notify the trust of planning applications that would impact on Ireland's sensitive landscapes.

The Minister of State for Europe, Mr Dick Roche, who has been critical of An Taisce in the past has said, however, that he would "prefer if An Taisce can reform their position themselves".

Mr Roche said while An Taisce should "show a little more care of their growing negative image" he added that "we need An Taisce, if they can reform their position".

Mr James Connolly of the Irish Rural Dwellers' Association said he was "delighted, absolutely delighted" to hear of the motion. Mr Connolly who has previously described The Irish Times as an "anti-rural paper" declined to comment further.

Clare has been one of the main battlegrounds in the country over the issue of one-off housing. An Taisce has been active in the county objecting to large scale developments such as the Cliffs of Moher visitor centre and the ESB retrofit project at Moneypoint, while also policing unauthorised developments.

The motion has been tabled by the leader of the Fianna Fáil group, Mr P.J. Kelly.

An Taisce's heritage officer, Mr Ian Lumley yesterday described the proposal as "quite shocking".

"Councillors have condemned An Taisce in the past, but nobody has ever gone this far. This is very serious," Mr Lumley said. He said An Taisce had written a letter to the Mayor of Clare, Mr Patrick O'Gorman (FF) requesting that Mr Kelly's motion be adjourned in the interests of justice to allow the organisation to make a presentation to the council before the motion is debated.

However, Mr Kelly said that he intends to press ahead with his motion. "I have no notion of accommodating An Taisce," he said.

At previous council meetings, Mr Kelly has referred to An Taisce as a leading member of the "born againsts".

He said yesterday that An Taisce has inhibited the development of rural Clare. "If the motion is successful, it will put a little more democracy into the system."

Mr Kelly accused An Taisce of being active in opposing single rural houses and developments in rural areas which would help the sustainability of rural families which are essential in protecting the environment.