An Taisce has been accused of being a "faceless body" trying to "bury rural Ireland" through its objections to applications for single dwellings around the county.
During a heated discussion on the role of the voluntary body at a Mayo County Council meeting this week, councillors unanimously voted to delist An Taisce from notification in regard to the County Development Plan. The matter is now to be referred to the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey.
Senator Frank Chambers (FF), who proposed the motion, said there was strong public feeling of dissatisfaction with An Taisce, which was, to some extent, a faceless and invisible body. There were leaders but nobody knew who their representatives were at local level.
Mr Al McDonnell (FF) said they were people who were based in Dublin making serious decisions on the county's behalf. They knew nothing about a county like Mayo and they cared less.
"They want to see empty, barren hillsides with no lights after 5 p.m. An Taisce is playing their part in that. They will oppose vehemently the construction of one simple hermit in the countryside."
Mr Pat McHugh (FF) said An Taisce was an organisation that seemed to be telling people from afar how they should be running their lives.
"If they want to have a say in that, well let them come and live amongst us and contribute to our society first. But if this advice is coming to us from the comforts of Co Wicklow or the Dublin 4 area, I take great exception to that," he said.
Mr Peter Sweeney (FF) said: "Last month in my own area a development was granted planning permission by this council for a perfectly valid application. An Taisce then came along and lodged an objection and that is now going through the process at the moment.
"It is time we saw these faceless people. We know they want to totally abolish development in rural Ireland so they can come down at weekends here to do their fishing and shooting."
Mr Gerry Coyle (FG) said: "We already have restrictions on planning because of Special Areas of Conservation and National Heritage Areas. We have people in Brussels telling us we cannot graze cattle on our own lands. There will be flora and fauna and everything else but there will be no people. That is the way it is going in our end of the world. The person who lives here all the time doesn't seem to mean anything to anyone."
Mr Johnny Mee (Lab) said: "They come down to the west of Ireland and try to treat the decent people of this county as if they were nonentities. Oliver Cromwell is remembered for saying 'To hell or to Connacht' but what An Taisce is now saying is 'To hell out of Connacht'. It's outrageous they can come into our county and do this. If this doesn't stop the county will be denuded."