More than 300 angry landowners attended a protest meeting on Sunday over planning decisions in Co Mayo.
The meeting was organised by the newly formed Rural Planning Action Committee, which opposes what it claims is a blanket ban by the North West Regional Fisheries Board on development around Loughs Conn and Cullen.
Landowners in the area say it is the fishery board's policy to lodge appeals with An Bord Pleanála, even when Mayo County Council has given planning permission for a house near the lakes.
The Fishery Board had no representative at the public meeting, however, an invitation to attend had been extended to members of the board.
Mayo Fianna Fáil TD Ms Beverley Cooper Flynn said it was "wrong to have so much power invested in one man, the CEO of the Fishery Board, Mr Vincent Roche. The CEO should be more under the control of his board members, but that does not appear to be the case.
"The apparent blanket ban by the fisheries board on single dwelling houses around the two lakes in question is not fair. According to the experts up to 20 per cent of the land around the lakes is suitable for development and Bord Na Móna say they can provide percolating systems which guarantee that the effluence from such development can be properly and safely dealt with," she said.
Mr Jimmy Maloney, a Fianna Fáil councillor, said he was a member of the fisheries board, which had "tried to muzzle me and a member of the board has even called for my resignation because of my outspoken criticism against the board's policy on planning decisions".
Mr Vincent Roche was not available for comment yesterday. However, the North West Regional Fisheries Board issued a statement on some of the issues raised at the meeting.
The statement said "the board has no power to either grant or refuse planning permission. This is a function of the local authority or An Bord Pleanála. The Board has the right to appeal to An Bord Pleanála against decisions made by the local authority.
"Over the past year, we have lodged appeals in respect of less than one per cent of decisions made by Mayo County Council. Our position on the appeals has been vindicated by the fact that An Bord Pleanála, has, in almost all of the cases, upheld our appeal.
The statement ended: "Decisions to lodge appeals are made by the CEO, under the authority delegated by the board, and on the basis of the advice of the board's environmental staff."