This article is from page 8 of the 2005-09-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 8 JPG
A MEMBER of An Taisce has warned opponents that even if it were delisted as an official body, it could still object to planning applications, “the same as a pri- vate citizen”.
Grier som COWZ INO MR eee kor sponding to Kilbaha’s Jim Con- nolly, secretary of the Irish Rural Dwellers Association (IRDA).
Ms McMullen argued that An Taisce had objected to just one one-off house in the county last year and, even if the organi- Sation did not exist, members could still have objected as pri- vate citizens.
She made her objections from the floor of the IRDA conference in Kilkee, after Mr Connolly said that the way An Taisce operated was “completely undemocratic”.
“My arguments are completely removed from personalities. Of- ficials and elected officers of An Taisce come and go. My argu- ment revolves around the basic principles that never change,” he Tne
‘An Taisce is a listed body un- der the Planning Acts. Planning
authorities are obliged to seek their opinion in certain specified situations.
“However, An ‘Taisce stands apart from all these other bodies in one vital aspect, and that is, it is an independent, voluntary
organisation whereas all the rest are statutory bodies,” he argued.
“An Taisce 1s, in effect, a se- cret society in that they refuse to publish names and details of their members. They claim privilege as a voluntary organi-
sation for private membership, but this presents an immediate contradiction with democratic principles, when they are listed to perform a statutory function.”
‘There is no place whatsoever in a democratic society for either a statutory body, or any other organisation performing a statu- tory duty, to function as a secret society,’ he said.
Ms McMullen said An Taisce was not a secret organisation, but under the Data Protection Act, could not publish members name. She said the aim of An Taisce was to protect Irish herit- age.
‘We have a very open system. Any letter we write is on file in the planning office. We are not obliged to follow Government policy.
“The impression is given that An Taisce objects to every one- off house. In 2004, in Clare, only three appeals were made by An Taisce and only one was made on rural houses.
“The majority of appeals are not against one-off houses. Plan- ners often ignore us completely,” she argued.