Green groups protest at talks exclusion

Environmental campaign groups will today protest at Dublin Castle against their exclusion from social partners discussions.

Friends of the Earth and TaraWatch are to picket outside the first plenary meeting of the social partners under Towards 2016, which will be opened by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern this morning.

Friends of the Earth claims the Department of the Taoiseach has twice turned down written requests from environmental organisations to discuss their participation in the talks.

“It’s absurd that environmental groups are being locked out of social partnership at a time when climate change and energy sustainability are looming large,” said Oisin Coughlan of Friends of the Earth.

“When this government was first elected it promised to put the environment at the heart of public policy.

“Now, with Ireland’s climate pollution spiralling out of control, Bertie Ahern is refusing to allow environmental groups take part in Towards 2016 discussions. Meanwhile, scientists are telling us 10 years is all the time we have left to stop climate change running out of control.”

The organisation is asking all social partners to support the inclusion of environmental groups in the partnership process.

TaraWatch, who are campaigning to protect the Hill of Tara from the M3 motorway, is also working with other groups in drafting an EU complaint about the exclusion of community environment groups from Social Partnership.

“This is illegal under the spirit and letter of EU law, as well as the principles of Agenda 21 and sustainable development,” added Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch.

“Instead of consultation and negotiation, we have restriction of information and non-participation.

“We are left with little option but to pursue grievances through the courts, such as at Carrickmines and Tara.”

Friends of the Earth said the Social Partnership meeting comes the day before the Environmental Protection Agency is due to release figures showing that Irelands’ greenhouse gas emissions have risen to 25% above 1990 levels, almost twice the rise the Government committed to under the Kyoto Protocol.