Galway group's appeal on centre for alcoholic women is rejected

AN Bord Pleanala has rejected an appeal by a Galway residents' group to the siting of a treatment centre for alcoholic women in their area.

The planning appeals authority eased the terms of the permission granted by allowing the development to remain pending review after five years but added minor conditions. Galway Corporation had granted permission for the centre at Cappagh Road in Barna for two years.

The decision follows an oral hearing at which representatives of Woodfield Cappagh Road Residents' Association and Horizon Half Way House gave evidence. Residents claimed it would devalue property in their area and was an untried treatment concept in this State. They also queried arrangements for disposal of medical waste.

The Fianna Fail spokeswoman on health, Ms Maire GeogheganQuinn, who lives close to the proposed site, had also objected to the initial planning application lodged with the corporation but was not a party to the appeal. She insisted that her objections were made in a personal capacity.

When it emerged that she had submitted her concerns on Dail Eireann headed paper, she said it was the only writing paper in her possession. "It's the only notepaper I have. I made no apology for that," she added.

Her objection was a private one, while the residents had made the appeal on behalf of all residents in the area following a survey "diligently carried out".

After her role in the matter was highlighted, Ms Geoghegan Quinn noted that it was Fianna Fail policy that there be "local acceptance" of such a facility in a residential area.

In her letter, she had stated that the proposal was "totally unsatisfactory in relation to the maintenance, medical and other qualifications which are strictly demanded by the Department of Health".

The developer, Ms Carmel O'Dwyer Campbell, a psychiatric nurse and counsellor, said she was "always confident that the facility would get the go ahead" despite the objections of the residents.

A spokesman for the residents said they would not be commenting until they had received a written copy of the decision.

The Green Party was highly critical of Mrs Geoghegan Quinn's objections. Their spokesman, Mr Pat Fitzpatrick, claimed the residents were whipping up undue fears and that "as a woman, a teacher, a former minister and as Fianna Fail spokesperson on health" she should have known that the facility was necessary and would not impact adversely on the community.

As someone who was keen to be Fianna Fail leader and aspired to be the first woman Taoiseach, she had shown very little leadership in bringing the true value of the development to Galway, he said.

Ms Geoghegan Quinn said she had "no comment" to make on the decision.