EC heritage ruling - Obligations dodged for long enough

FOR a society so obsessed with its past we do not care for the legacy we hold in trust for future generations as we are obliged to. Yesterday’s announcement that the European Commission is, again, taking Ireland to Europe’s highest court because we have not implemented a judgement on Government’s failure to protect natural or man-made heritage is another example of our devil-may-care irresponsibility.

The current action — and the possibility of €33,000 a day fines — focuses on our willful failure to prepare proper environmental impact assessments prior to development of wetlands or archaeological sites below a certain size.

Earlier EC court actions were needed to enforce the water/nitrates directive which took over a decade to implement. In that time waterways were enriched and all but destroyed because politicians pandered to powerful interests. These interests had, of course, a strong case because politicians often presided over pollution of waterways by local authorities.

The pollution of two of the great western lakes — Corrib and Conn — because of inadequate sewage treatment facilities are two examples. The 2007 outbreak of cryptosporidium in Galway’s drinking water was traced to the 60 year-old and overwhelmed sewage treatment plant in Oughterard. It is impossible to imagine this happening in a self-respecting country.

The EU 1989 birds directive, designed to protect vulnerable species and habitats, was ignored for decades. Because of this, partially at least, species once commonplace — snipe, curlew, lapwing and grouse — are heading towards the endangered list.

This neglect is just one of the reasons so many people or businesses are stuck in homes or premises built on flood plains — or downstream of drained bogs — and cannot get insurance to cover the next inevitable flood. This has contributed too to higher home insurance premiums for everyone.

Of course some interests will buck at the notion of more planning regulation but as we have seen a minority of developers behave in a way that makes self-regulation or soft-touch regulation a charter for destruction.

Sadly, we have not learnt the lesson that implementation of these directives is inevitable either. Fine Gael, much to their discredit, led opposition to the water/nitrates directive despite the fact that more than half of the country’s community water supply schemes were polluted by nitrates. That party, as it prepares for Government, continues to support those who put personal interests before environmental obligations.

Just yesterday the Irish Wildlife Trust called on Fine Gael to reverse its policy on turf cutting in Special Areas of Conservation and Natural Heritage. Fine Gael’s response to legislation to protect the remnants of Europe’s raised bogs is a proposal to “allow an exemption for domestic turf cutting on the 75 National Heritage Area sites”. Vote for us and cut away is the message. This response is the cronyism Fine Gael say they are determined to stamp out in destructive action.

The immediate focus is on political reform but we must realise that we have environmental responsibilities we can’t ignore. The next Government should set the tone by protecting what is left of our bogs.