An Taisce, The National Trust for Ireland, is reporting an unexpectedly large increase in membership. The increase follows a national and local radio advertising campaign, and has "genuinely surprised" Ms Isabell Smyth, the organisation's membership and development officer.
An Taisce is an independent, non-governmental organisation (NGO) and is a "prescribed" body. That is to say under the planning acts is has to be consulted on planning matters in relation to amenity areas, monuments and heritage. It makes around 2,000 submissions a year on planning matters, nationally.
Along with the fisheries bodies, it is one of a small number of bodies now acting as watchdog on planning and development matters from the point of view of the environment, Ms Smyth explained.
Their membership has increased from just over 4,000 to well over 5,000 with as much as an 80 per cent increase nationally.
The membership numbers disguise the fact that many are family members, numbering several individuals as well as groups.Increases are experienced mainly in urban areas, but also in rural areas.
This is despite a lot of "negativity" and what has seemed like a constant attack on the organisation in the first part of the year, Ms Smyth points out.
Following local radio advertisements in May in Co Mayo, mainly to do with the National Spatial Strategy, well over 30 people have joined, swelling numbers to perhaps 80 or more, and this is in what has been one of the most controversial counties on planning issues.
"Generally, people do seem to be able to read between the lines, despite the negativity," she said.
At one stage in March An Taisce called for the resignation of Éamon Ó Cuív, the then minister for rural development, "for undermining government policy" and "voodoo planning theories." This was in response to Mr Ó Cuív's having "slammed" An Taisce for challenging one-off houses and for Mr Ó Cuív's accusation that An Taisce was leading to delays in the planning process.
An Taisce has also been involved in controversy over planning in Counties Leitrim, Mayo and Kerry. However, the membership drive was not in response to the negativity it has experienced of late, Ms Smyth said. Membership in many of the local associations was getting elderly.
"The local associations are very important to rejuvenate the whole organisation. An Taisce is still a community focused organisation, not just an NGO," she said, with "talks and walks, educational matters, and social interaction very important to the local associations.
A focus group of new members at Tailors' Hall in Dublin, one of a number of important An Taisce owned properties, recently was made up of "an extraordinarily diverse group of people" from successful businesswomen, to mountaineers to artists, Ms Smyth said.
The majority of the new members are in the 40 age bracket. While the spread of new members is national, the largest increases have been seen in areas such as Meath, Kildare where a lot of issues in regard to planning are arising.