Sir, - In your recent article "Out of the West", dealing with the human and financial cost of the destruction of houses in the floods in South Galway in 1995, it is evident that the eco system of turlough areas is a very complicated one: "The big worry is the floods will come back. The complicated system of interconnected turloughs and underground streams in the area has never been fully mapped or investigated before, which is one reason a comprehensive study, commissioned by the OPW, is taking so long. No one knows for sure what will happen if there is another prolonged spell of constant rain. The water levels are already high for this time of year and further floods cannot be ruled out" (The Irish Times, December 9th).
Excessive flooding also occurred in 1995 at Mullaghmore, now referred to as Gortnatecka in Official Ireland. Did the OPW carry out any study of the flooding in this turlough area at that time? Yet, despite the magnitude of the danger to this unique area of turloughs, rare flora and fauna, the OPW proposed to build there a visitor centre/sewage treatment plant etc., against the on going advice of experienced world wide environmentalists.
The irreplaceable treasure of the Mullaghmore area cannot be rebuilt as the houses destroyed in nearby South Galway have been, should there be a malfunction of this sewage treatment plant. Environmental experts state that the delicate eco sysem at Mullaghmore could be irreparably damaged if even the smallest accident occurred there.
One important question is being asked, but unfortunately, in the current political climate of this country, it is unlikely an answer will be forthcoming. Who will gain from the OPW's proposed desecration of the area of Mullaghmore? There appears to be no one at Cabinet level with the character needed to raise his head above the party political parapet, to save one of the last remaining areas of karstic limestone, turloughs, flora and, fauna in the world, from destruction. - Yours, etc.,
The Square, Ennistymon, Co Clare.