Letters to the Editor: Eamon Ryan should oppose Special Conservation Area plans

An 'Irish Examiner' reader suggests that proposals such as Galway County Council's plans concerning Lough Fingall SAC should be halted

Thu, 04 May, 2023 - 02:00

On May 1, the Irish Examiner reported that Environment Minister Eamon Ryan might, in certain circumstances, favour the use of compulsory purchase orders to add to the size of national parks. One reason given was the need to conserve biodiversity for future generations.

However, to be consistent, the minister should equally oppose development in or through Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) which are intended to conserve biodiversity.

It doesn’t matter if the proposed development is for a house, a road, or a greenway. They are all equally objectionable. The Government itself declared a biodiversity emergency in 2019. To my mind, this ought to mean a strict moratorium on any development through an SAC.

This is not academic. Galway County Council is proposing to pave through and slice an SAC (Lough Fingall). I suggest that if the minister is serious about biodiversity (and I am sure he is) then proposals like those emanating from Galway County Council should be stopped in their tracks.

Gerard Quinn, Ballinderreen, Co Galway

Proposed forum on neutrality

The proposed forum is being presented as a magic solution to our Government’s dithering in relation to matters of national defence. This is a matter of current urgent concern.

I would respectfully suggest that this exercise is a red herring. The real issue is whether or not we are prepared to spend the necessary money — which, according to many media reports, we currently have in abundance due to exceptional tax returns — to be able to defend our much-lauded independence and sovereignty, which we have been busily celebrating with our “decade of centenaries”.

The fora will only amount to facile attempts to create the belief that something is being done to address the current Defence Forces malaise. The situation is reminiscent of how the Defence Forces have been criminally neglected since the foundation of the State.

I often wonder if this is perhaps a folk memory of the failed 1924 army mutiny. The Government may have no worries on that score as the loyalty of the Defence Forces is above reproach. I don’t write this letter lightly or in naive isolation. I served for 40 years in the FCA.

I was actually in Gormanston Camp on August 13, 1969, when the State last looked over the edge of disaster and an indolent government asked the Defence Forces to do the impossible, with no resources, to defend the State. We are back there again, I’m afraid, with no lessons learned the last time.

To protect and preserve our neutrality and national self-respect, and play our role as a committed member of the EU to defend against shared threats, we need to take the following steps urgently.

Purchasing at least 14 modern jet fighters: The Swedish Saab JAS 39 would be an ideal choice and represents excellent value for money, and we would be buying from a fellow neutral (they still are).

A comprehensive radar system is an urgent requirement. Again, the Swedes can help.

The Naval Service needs to reappraise its role. Currently, there is a proposal to build a large multi-role vessel. This plan should be abandoned as it is something of a vanity project and crewing it would be quite a challenge.

The navy must play to its proven strengths and, to this end, the Government must address the issue of pay to ensure sufficient crew are available to put all, soon to be eight ships to sea. In this respect, in addition to a pay increase, perhaps some imaginative thinking on the part of the minister — institute a special PAYE status for seagoing days.

The overriding issue, the elephant in the room if you wish, is the failure to bring pay levels across all ranks to a decent level which will attract men and women to serve their country in what is a splendid and worthwhile career.

Tony Martin, Dundalk, Co Louth

Ireland should not join mini-EU army

This summer’s national consultative forum on Ireland’s security policy will be directed towards facilitating Irish participation in a new mini-EU army. This is clear from a resolution passed by MEPs on April 18, supporting the creation by 2025 of an EU rapid deployment capacity (RDC) of 5,000 troops with land, air, and maritime units to be deployed quickly to intervene anywhere in the world.

MEPs also insisted that for this force to be effective it needed regular joint exercises, “in line with Nato standards”, a permanent operational HQ, staff, and infrastructure and be funded by increasing the budget the European Peace Facility (sic).

The rapporteur Javi López informed the European Parliament: “This will allow us not only to be a stronger ally within our EU-Nato cooperation framework, but it will also be an important step towards our strategic autonomy and to becoming a real and credible geopolitical actor in an ever-competing world.”

In May 2021, 14 EU defence ministers called on EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to initiate this force to respond to international crises outside the EU. This he promptly included in the March 2022 Strategic Compass.

A minority report at committee signed by Irish MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace called for a “shift of paradigm of policy approach from military intervention and economic power politics towards a diplomatic conflict prevention and management”.

Louise Richardson and her handpicked “experts” on the forum, will no doubt choose the militaristic option, despite the fact it will contravene Article 29 of Bunreacht na hÉireann, which adheres “to the principle of the pacific settlement of international disputes by international arbitration or judicial determination”.

Frank Keoghan, Santry, Dublin.

We voted to make abortion available

In light of the Taoiseach’s reluctance to amend our abortion legislation, on the basis that people voted for the heads of bill set out in 2018, it’s worth remembering that exit polls after the referendum vote showed that most people had made up their minds years before any draft legislation was published.

We didn’t vote for a three-day waiting period. We voted for compassion. The Taoiseach should be reluctant to continue exporting people to Britain for abortion care they should be able to access at home. More than 1.4m of us voted to stop doing that.

Bernie Linnane, Dromahair, Co Leitrim.

Clon milestone

On May 5, 2013, Clonakilty celebrated its 400th birthday, (the granting of a charter by James I which formally established the town and town council).

President and Sabina Higgins came to town and a great Sunday was enjoyed by hundreds of locals who turned out for the occasion.

An hour-long DVD of the highlights of the historic day, was subsequently produced and sold locally. To remember the day ten years ago, all are invited to a social gathering at O’ Donovan’s Hotel at 8.30pm tomorrow, May 5, where the DVD will be shown on a big screen.

The event is organised by Dúchas Clonakilty Heritage which along with the then Town Council was centrally involved in the organisation of “An Lá Mór”, a decade ago

Cionnaith Ó Súilleabháin, Clonakilty, Co Cork.

A true altruist

A shout out for Mary Hegarty, ex Fine Gael politician based in Bantry, I consider timely.

My mention brings to mind the extraordinary work she undertook, and all of the people she helped in every way possible during her time as a public representative.

Since Mary left party politics, she has continued with trojan strides towards the betterment of West Cork folk, in a non-political capacity after her former role. Her altruistic nature has endeared her to all, within and outside of politics.

This is how we see Ms Hegarty in Bantry and further afield, for many years. An honest former politician and still much loved by all.

Robert Sullivan, Bantry, Co Cork