This article is from page 11 of the 2006-09-05 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
THE Irish Rural Dwellers Association has issued a “wake up call” to the current Government.
The lobby group, that has its headquarters in Kilbaha, has published a pre-election review of the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrats contribution to planning in the country.
Entitled “Four Years Seeking Radical Change in Planning under a Fianna Fail – PD government”, the booklet criticises the role of An Taisce as well as planners’ qualifications.
“There is absolutely no point in either Fianna Fail or Progressive Democrat TDs knocking on rural doors promising radical changes in planning if they get re-elected because, if they don’t do it now when they have the power to do so, their credibility about the future is meaningless,” the book states.
When contacted by The Clare People, westClare based Jim Connolly, president of the organisation, said the group had no plans to run a candidate in the upcoming general election.
“We are a non-political group,” he said.
The IRDA is made up of leading academics in rural development, as well as rural bodies, opposition TDs and MEPs.
In this its latest document, the group has included an application form for new members.
It says its aim is to unite all rural dwellers and people of “goodwill towards rural Ireland”.
It aims to achieve this, “in the context of peaceful, multi-cultural co-existence in the common cause of ensuring, by legal and constitutional means, the growth and maintenance of the dispersed village, sraid bhaile or street village and the clachán, or clustered village.”