Local opponents of plans to locate an explosives factory in the Shannon Estuary were yesterday joined in their opposition by Shannon Regional Fisheries Board.
In a statement delivered at a Bord Pleanála oral hearing yesterday, Mr Michael Fitzsimmons, of the fisheries board, claimed that permission should be refused for the plan in the interest of public safety.
On the second day of the hearing in Ennis, Mr Fitzsimmons said: "We suggest that it is not appropriate to site an explosives factory in this area at all."
Referring to Cahercon pier on the south Co Clare coast, which will facilitate the delivery of some raw materials for the proposed plant, Mr Fitzsimmons said: "To grant permission would be, in effect, to deny the community access to an amenity and a resource which is becoming increasingly valuable for both recreation and for the development of an angling tourism industry."
Mr Fitzsimmons was also critical of the actions of CW Shipping, which is also under the control of the Whelan's Quarries Group, which owns the applicant company Shannon Explosives Ltd. He said a number of vessels in the vicinity of Cahercon pier seem to be derelict, in a state of decay and look abandoned.
In an earlier submission, Mr John Maguire, of the Irish Concrete Federation (ICF), outlined the need for the Shannon Explosives Ltd proposal.
Saying the ICF was the national trade organisation for the quarry and concrete products industry, he said demand for industry products has more than doubled in the last five years. It was evident that the existing capacity within the explosives manufacturing sector was inadequate.
"We believe from our members that the quarry industry urgently require a supplier based in the southern part of the country to meet current industry demands for raw materials."
Earlier, the hearing was told that the proposal would not require a licence from the Environmental Protection Agency.
