Madam, - Your Editorial of September 9th and articles of that and the previous day are misleading about An Taisce.
Your Editorial says An Taisce has "conceded" that "as presently [sic] constituted", it is "not feasible for it to become a major property-owning trust on the scale of the National Trust in Britain". In fact this was not a concession so much as a declaration of An Taisce's intent to change and seek change.
It is precisely why last year An Taisce went through the elaborate process of changing its articles of association to facilitate such a full-blown national trust function and why it has been lobbying for new legislation to enshrine such a function - for An Taisce and other charities willing to hold property "in trust for the people".
Above all else it needs the tax concession that in the UK, for generations, has allowed property owners to meet a tax liability by giving, or leaving, property of that value to the National Trust. That concession alone would have revolutionised its function over the past half-century.
"An Taisce - the National Trust for Ireland" (its statutory name) has existed since 1948. It espouses the common aims of the worldwide movement of national trusts. The aims of all national trusts, on behalf of heritage and the environment are: advocacy, education and property ownership in trust for the people.
An Taisce currently carries its advocacy role through its remit as a prescribed statutory consultee under the planning, forestry and other acts; and through other campaigns. It fulfils its education role through its environmental education unit programmes, which include the Green Schools, Blue Flags, and National Spring Clean Campaigns, and through its programme of public lectures and events.
Its property ownership includes 16 properties. Its first acquisition was Kanturk Castle in Co Cork, which was acquired in 1900 by the National Trust committee for Ireland. It owns 6,500 acres at Crocknafarragh, Co Donegal, gifted by the Land Commission in 1968 "to be managed for the permanent conservation of its natural environment". It owns Booterstown Marsh, the Boyne Canal, etc.
An Taisce, throughout its history, has sought to have legislation enacted to incorporate its property ownership by statute. In 2001 it made a submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Heritage and The Irish Language on the need for National Trust legislation for Ireland. In 2002 it presented the draft heads of a Heritage Trust Act and a delegation from the Oireachtas visited the National Trust in Northern Ireland by invitation from An Taisce.
In 2003, a presentation was made to the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Environment and Local Government which reiterated the need for legislation in this area and presented drafts heads of a Bill. All of the above has met with all-party support in principle and was acknowledged in Dr Terence Dooley's study on the Future of Historic Irish Houses, referred to in your Editorial and articles.
An Taisce is currently paying for the drafting of a Bill which will incorporate, as a statutory body, An Taisce's property ownership division and will permit the recognition of other appropriate bodies with the same function. This legislation is based on best practice in Europe and in particular proposes to follow the Finnish model of a foundation linked to a membership society.
All national trusts worldwide are involved in the planning process and this in no way conflicts with their model property-owning responsibilities. - Yours, etc.,
MICHAEL SMITH,
Chairperson,
An Taisce - the National
Trust for Ireland,
Tailors Hall,
Dublin 8.