Press Release
The Green Party / Comhaontas Glas – (Sligo/Leitrim/Roscommon Group)
Garreth McDaid Tel.: 087 6885867 Email: info@slrgreens.com
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For Immediate Release:

Feb 24 2009

Local Greens welcome decision on Boleybrack

Leitrim Green Party representative, Garreth McDaid, has welcomed the decision of the High Court to prevent Leitrim County Council from carrying out any further works on the protected site on Boleybrack Mountain.

The Council have been ordered by the Court both to cease ongoing works, to take remedial action and to pay the legal costs of the applicants, the Cavan Leitrim Environmental Awareness Network (CLEAN).

Speaking after the decision, Mr. McDaid said the case raises serious questions about the Council’s commitment to preserving natural heritage in the county, and about their knowledge of EU Environmental Law.

“The fact that the Council pursued this case, exposing themselves to costs which will now have to be taken from their already meagre budget, when it was quite clear that they were in breach of numerous instruments of both EU and National Law, raises serious questions about their attitude to environmental protection.”

“At a time when value must be derived from every euro of the Council’s budget, wasting thousands of euro on defending the indefensible cannot be tolerated.”

“The elected members of the Council must also bear their share of responsibility for this fiasco. Rather than insist that the County Manager uphold the law, they repeatedly lobbied for the continuation of the works, which raises serious questions about their competence in the area of EU Law.”

“On the other hand, the members of CLEAN deserve enormous credit for pursuing this matter, particularly when they were subjected to constant vilification by the elected members of Leitrim County Council, and given they huge financial risk that was involved in this case.”

ENDS

More about the Boleybrack Mountain SAC here