Damagebeingdone bytreeprotesters

March 1998

Tree protest campaigners at Glen of the Downs have been accused of causing more environmental damage to the scenic woodland that Wicklow County Council ever will.

The claim was made this week by Cllr George Jones who said that many of the simple facts of the case had been lost in the huge media hype which has surrounded the protest action in recent months.

The Greystones based councillor said that he accepted that the protesters were ‘well intentioned’ with their action, but stated that ‘ they are misguided and are actually causing more damage to the Glen than Wicklow County Council ever will’.

‘What damage is being done to the wildlife and the reserve with them camping there?’ he asked. ‘ Their living conditions are bordering on a health hazard.’

The Fine Gael member, who launched his attack in the wake of a recent RTE radio programme by Vincent Browne, which was broadcast from the Glen of the Downs camp, claimed that the huge number of visitors and extra cars being attracted to the locality by the protest were also defeating the very purpose which the campaigners set out to achieve. Cllr Jones said that ‘ the simple facts of the situation’ had been lost in many of the reports, and went on to claim that contrary to many of the statements about the situation, thousands of trees would not be cut down, that a modest dual-carriageway and not a motorway would be built, that 98 per cent of the Glen would not be effected, and that over 1,600 new trees were set to be planted along the route.

The Greystones councillor said that the road development scheme was being undertaken following a major public consultation during the planning process, and after the views and concerns of local representatives, of the local community, and of environmentalists had been taken into consideration.