The director of national environmental heritage body An Taisce confirmed last night that he has stepped down from his post after only a year in the position.
Gavin Harte told The Irish Times he has decided not to renew his one-year contract, which expired on December 3rd, for personal reasons. "I have thought about this for the last month and informed the board how I was thinking. With some regret I have decided not to renew my contract," he said.
Mr Harte said his mother died last September and he intended spending more time in his native West Cork with his father. "I have not decided for definite what I will do but I do plan to spend more time with my family."
He stressed that his decision not to renew his contract was "purely personal".
He said that he had enjoyed his year with the organisation.
Mr Harte said he intended to stay with An Taisce as a volunteer.
"This is very much my decision and my decision alone. With my contract up it was a natural time to consider my future. This is something I feel I need to do. I am sure that An Taisce would have renewed my contract if that was my wish and I had no indication otherwise".
Before taking up his position with An Taisce Mr Harte worked for five years with The Village project in Cloughjordan in Co Tipperary, a community development on a 67-acre farm of people committed to ecological, social and economic sustainability.
An Taisce chairman Frank Corcoran said yesterday that Mr Harte had informed the organisation of his decision.
He said the board of An Taisce was having a routine meeting last night and the matter of a replacement for Mr Harte would be discussed.
An Taisce, which is a trust, had been receiving €70,000 a year in public funding up to December 31st, 2003, which was used to pay salaries.
At that time, a spokesman for the then minister for the environment, Martin Cullen, said it was "not the taxpayers' job to pay salaries". An Taisce responded by letting go its natural environment officer and public relations officer.