This article is from page 15 of the 2006-06-20 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
AN Taisce was last night described as Ireland’s only secret society that receives state recognition.
Making the claim at last night’s adjourned June meeting of Clare County Council, Councillor PJ Kelly (FF) said, “An Taisce doesn’t release the identity of its members and they could come from the ranks of Al Qaeda, MI5 or the CIA. We just don’t know.”
Tabling a motion that objections received from An Taisce be made available to the public, Cllr Kelly said An Taisce was “anti-rural and anti anything outside of the Pale.”
“I have no problems with objections being lodged. If an ordinary person lodges an objection, the applicant can see the objection on file.
“However, An Taisce has special status and applicants cannot see objections An Taisce make against developments. This goes against any principle of natural justice as applicants can’t respond to the objections.
“An Taisce has special status under Clare County Council, but there is no provision in statute. The regulations only state that an An Taisce submission can be regarded as a report.
“Unless the council receives legal advice stating that it cannot release An Taisce objections prior to planning decisions being made, I am calling on the council to make public the objections An Taisce make, especially having regard to the chequered past of the organisation.”
Cllr Kelly’s call received support from his colleagues. Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) said, “It is only reasonable that the An Taisce objections be made available in the interest of transparency and fairplay.”
The Council’s Director for Planning, Bernadette Kinsella, said, “Where we refer planning files to An Taisce in their role as a prescribed body, their reports are not available.
“However, when An Taisce make a submission or objection, they are available for the public to view.”