An Taisce in Kerry have welcomed a decision by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, not to allow a golf course to go ahead on a sand spit that is an EU-designated Special Area of Conservation.
The national trust in Kerry has fought a lengthy battle, alongside Dúchas, and heritage organizations, against plans by Dr Arthur Spring, the brother of former tanáiste and leader of the Labour party, Mr Dick Spring, to design and build a golf course on the dramatic spit.
Dr Catherine McMullin, honorary planning officer with the Kerry association of An Taisce said however it was the EU regulation which ultimately saved the sand spit.
Because golf courses were exempted development until 1994, and because the planning authorities ruled against An Taisce's submission that the site at Inch should not be exempted, the course at Inch could have gone ahead, if the developers had acted quickly enough, she said.
There had been a court battle to prevent works being carried out on the dunes, and in 1997 the SAC habitats directive came into force. Ultimately this is what has prevented the course being built.
Golf courses are no longer exempted developments and it was An Taisce's submissions on Inch and on Maherbeg nearby which highlighted the destruction that could be caused, and the need to have golf courses included as development, Dr McMullin said.
The plans go back 13 years. At one point Dúchas said they were prepared to buy the site rather than allow the destruction of the habitat important to migratory birds, toads and rare grasses be interfered with. However, before that they missed out on buying the spit for an estimated £150,000 when it changed ownership.
Dr Spring, has always maintained it is possible to construct a course in harmony with the habitat. He has never been given a fair hearing, he told the Sunday Tribune this week.
In a letter to Dr Spring, Mr Cullen said he had studied a report commissioned after a presentation Dr Spring gave in June to Arts, Sport and Tourism Minister John O'Donoghue and officials from his own department, but was convinced a golf course should not be allowed at Inch.
Dr Spring told the Sunday newspaper the battle was not over yet.