An Taisce ‘appeal’ borders on threatening

EVERYBODY is entitled to an opinion – but not all opinions on a given subject carry the same weight.

If the missus is minded to suggest that matters have run their course and you should be gathering up your bits and pieces and shutting the door behind you on the way out, then it probably should be taken a little more seriously than if some randomer in the street thinks it’s time for you to change address.

So, Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s appeal to An Taisce to drop their objections to a €140m cheese factory in Kilkenny is hugely significant, simply by virtue of the office he holds.

Martin, pictured right, after all, is not your regular 9-to-5 – he’s a legislator and, not insignificantly, also head of Government.

Further, his comments about An Taisce’s intentions to contest the High Court’s decision which allows the factory to go ahead, were delivered in a context where Mattie McGrath had called for a debate on An Taisce’s €2.5m Government funding. In such circumstances Mr Martin’s intervention could reasonably be regarded as more than borderline threatening.

The fact is that An Taisce is legally recognised by the State as a body to which planning permission issues and other matters are referred. This status is assigned to An Taisce in the full knowledge that it is their mission to protect the natural and built environment throughout Ireland.

Knowing that, how could anyone be surprised that An Taisce opposes a cheese factory over concerns about the damage to the environment caused by carbon emissions.

This is not, anymore, about the merits of the proposed cheese factory. Rather, it’s about Mr Martin’s politics without integrity. It’s about him playing silly buggers with voters.

He wants to show how much he supports rural Ireland, how these 140 permanent cheese factory jobs are vital, that family farms are essential, and that businesses must be supported by his Government. But then he fails miserably on the follow-through. Because, there’s only one way Mr Martin can ensure An Taisce backs off, permanently, on such matters – that’s to remove their special position as far as planning and development is concerned.

He could bring forward the necessary legislation that shows them the door and ends their State support. But, he won’t because he hasn’t the political cojones to do so.

Instead, he’ll express his specious appeal in an attempt to mislead public opinion – and ask An Taisce to behave in a manner that runs entirely counter to what they’re set up to do.