Residents of a Gaeltacht area in Co Donegal have threatened to take An Bord Pleanala to the High Court because of its failure to provide simultaneous translation at an oral hearing. The inquiry is into an ESB plan to build a sub-station and put a power line through the west of the county.
The hearing opened in Dungloe yesterday and had to be adjourned twice to consider how evidence from Irish speakers would be taken. After the second adjournment, an inspector with An Bord Pleanala, Mr Michael Walsh, said he would arrange to have a professional translator present from tomorrow. Evidence from English speakers would be taken in the meantime.
Mr Michael Gillespie, a solicitor representing Coiste Timpeallachta Ghaoth Dobhair, a residents' group in Gweedore, said he wanted it noted that he was objecting to this procedure. He believed it amounted to discrimination on the grounds of language.
The proposed sub-station would be located at Arduns and some of the power line would also go through Gaeltacht areas. Four days were set aside this week by An Bord Pleanala to deal with the issue of the substation and a separate hearing into the 110-kilometre power line is due to start on Tuesday.
When the hearing opened, Mr Gillespie sought an adjournment until simultaneous translation could be provided. He said a number of witnesses were Irish speakers and, as it was the first language of the State and the hearing was being held in a Gaeltacht, they should be afforded equal treatment.
After a 20-minute adjournment, Mr Walsh said he would give an English translation of any submissions made in Irish. However, the issue arose again in the afternoon after a Gweedore resident, Mr Aoidin O Fhearraigh, addressed the hearing in Irish.
Mr Walsh said he would give the "gist" of what was said and proceeded to give a brief translation of Mr O Fhearraigh's statement.
Mr Gillespie said he believed the translation was unsatisfactory as some important points had been missed.
After another adjournment, Mr Walsh said a professional translator would be present from Thursday.
The hearing then continued in English. In submissions yesterday the ESB said the site for the sub-station has been revised three times after widespread consultation and the Arduns site "accommodates as many of the concerned parties as possible".
Ms Marie Hall, whose family lives close to the site, said she believed it was "much too close to dwellings given that there are vast stretches of unoccupied land".
She believed the planning had been "rushed through" and locals did not know about it until a week before planning permission was granted by Donegal County Council.
Mr Eunan Quinn, an executive planner with Donegal County Council, said alternative locations had "the potential to be more obtrusive".