Public Meeting who'se who on Inishowen Rivers? Or is there more to it?

February 20, 2017

by James Quigley

A public meeting is coming up entitled 'Who's Who on Inishowen Rivers' on Wednesday 22nd February, 6pm at An Grianán Hotel, Burt, Co Donegal.

The heading on the poster states 'Inishowen Rivers Trust', however, it is unclear which of the organisations mentioned are responsible for the event and indeed what it is all about.

I will take the poster at face value and believe that it is about a 'Who's Who? and all will be revealed on the night.

My interest in the event is not solely environmental but also on the political and commercial relationship around say community organisations and elected public bodies dealing with our ecosystem and communities. Have the parties involved a genuine interest or have they some form of agenda? Do they hold or are they pushing a status quo line?

When I read about Government bodies and Government funded organisations, whether community or not, my internal critical radar starts to blip. I immediately have toask how are these organisations funded and then how did they act around past and present controversies on water and environmental issues in Inishowen?

My own answer is that I can't recall any of the stated organisations giving constructive support or encouragement to any recent or past controversial environmental or political issues. Rather it is my experience that they either say nothing or have actively criticised any who spoke out or asked awkward questions.

As for bureaucratic officialdom, e.g. County Councils, it has been my experience that they misinform, obstruct, are rude, doctrinaire and paternalistic and even worse. It is in the Government's interest, good PR, to support clean ups, tree planting, nice community events etc. They will support financially and practically any organisations pushing it's agenda and in so doing control them. But try asking officialdom awkward questions like what are they putting into our drinking water or sewage into the sea and rivers, allowing fish farms willy-nilly along our shores and the lists goes on. Never mind the big one charging and privatising our water. Then you will see their real side. I wonder will we hear anything like this at the meeting in the Grianán on Wednesday night?

Maybe I should have an open mind and wait to hear the presentations, sip tea with in the establishment, however, it is difficult to dampen my prejudices.

Proposed Moville/Greencastle Waste Water Treatment Plant - Amended Legislation

February 19, 2017

by Enda Craig
Community For a Clean Estuary

S.I. No. 652 of 2016 WASTE WATER DISCHARGE (AUTHORISATION)(ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS 2016

The above attachment contains details of amended national legislation that came about as a result of a formal complaint made to the European Commission by the environmental campaign group 'Community For a Clean Estuary', Carnagarve, Moville, Co Donegal.

The group had alleged that the legislation granting planning permission by An Bord Pleanála and the High Court, to build a proposed Waste Water Treatment Plant for the towns of Moville and Greencastle at Carnagarve, was based on defective European Planning Legislation.

This amendment was carried out by the Irish Government on foot of an ultimatum from the European Commission in Brussels to either amend the defective legislation or face the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

The Government recognised the game was up and decided to comply with the relevant European Environmental Legislation.

This is a massive achievement by a small group of community activists determined to prevent their local environment being destroyed. Having witnessed An Bord Pleanála and the High Court of Ireland deliberately (and illegally) ignore European Commission legislation, it is encouraging to see them being brought to account and have them apply proper process.

Nevertheless, the final important battle is yet to be decided. The European Commission having insisted on compliance must now decide if the original planning permission by An Bord Pleanála is allowed to stand. Will the European Commission insist the decision to grant planning permission is re-visited and set aside (as it should be) in light of the amended legislation?

Historically the European Commission does not retrospectively apply amended legislation but our group Community For A Clean Estuary is challenging this decision. We must point out that no group would reasonably be willing to take the time, effort and go to the expense of making a complaint to the European Commission if it means that in return your own case will be ignored and only future projects will need to comply with the amended European Legislation.

Source: SaveTheFoyle, Feb 19, 2017

What is the National Platform EU Research and Information Centre?

February 17, 2017

The National Platform EU Research and Information Centre ( http://www.nationalplatform.org ) is a voluntary research and information body on EU affairs. Its Director is Anthony Coughlan, who is an economist and Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin.

He acts as coordinator of a loose group of lawyers, economists and politically interested people who come to the fore when their expertise is needed. The group seeks to produce legally accurate documentation on EU matters for the use of organisations and individuals on the centre, left and right of Irish politics who are concerned at the development of the EU in an undemocratic and highly centralised direction. Its members stand for a Europe of independent, democratic and cooperating Nation States.

Project Hope prevails over Project Fear in Brexit referendum

All Hail to those UK democrats who have made “Project Hope” prevail over “Project Fear” and decided that they want to win back Britain’s political independence and national democracy in face of the undemocratic monster that is the European Union.

Let us rejoice at the discomfiture of the Brussels Eurocrats and their acolytes in every EU country – in Ireland the likes of such anti-democratic, anti-national ideologues as Peter Sutherland, Alan Dukes, Brendan Halligan, Brigid Laffan et al, plus the clique of Eurofanatics that decides Irish Times editorial policy on the EU.

Democrats in the Republic of Ireland should now seek to win back Ireland’s independence by following Britain out of the EU and the Eurozone. Leaving the EU is the only legal way in which Ireland can disentangle itself from the disastrous Eurozone, joining which was the biggest mistake ever made by the Irish State.

Ireland does two-thirds of its foreign trade outside the nineteen-member Eurozone: two-thirds of its exports and three quarters of its imports. It is essential that Ireland has a special deal governing its UK trade, but while it stays in the EU it is Brussels Commission, not an independent Irish Government, that decides the Republic’s trade arrangements. In any case those running the present and all foreseeable Irish Governments share the anti-national and anti-democratic mind-set of the Eurocrats.

British Labour paid the penalty in yesterday’s referendum for failing to stand for British national independence and democracy. If the political Left does not stand for national independence, it is inevitable that the political Right will. This is a lesson that is universally applicable. It is what Ireland’s James Connolly taught in his writings and by example – the Labour leader who was one of the signatories of Ireland’s 1916 Easter Rising proclamation.

Ireland’s democrats who understand the EU issue will look today with contempt on those politicians in the Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Labour and Sinn Fein parties who shamefully lent themselves to the campaign of bullying, lies and fear-mongering against ordinary UK citizens that characterized the “Remain” side in the Brexit referendum.

This world-historical act of rejection of the EU by the British people will encourage democrats in every EU country, whether on the political Right, Left or Centre, to push ahead with their struggle against the anti-democratic and reactionary EU/Eurzone and to seek to replace it with a Europe of independent, democratic and cooperating Nation States.

The EU is an out-of-date construct left over from the Cold War. It is inevitable that it will disappear in time, and the sooner that happens the better for national democracy, the true welfare of Europe’s peoples and peace and good international relations on our continent.

Best wishes from Ireland to all UK democrats as you seek to implement yesterday’s admirable decision in the period ahead.

Anthony Coughlan

Director

NB. Scottish talk of “independence in Europe” is a contradiction in terms. Scotland’s independence referendum last year was premised on a supposedly “independent” Scotland retaining the pound sterling as its currency. Do those who talk of Scotland remaining in the EU while the rest of the United Kingdom leaves, not realise that in order to do that Scotland would have to adopt the disastrous euro-currency and all the reactionary apparatus that goes with it?

Source: https://nationalplatform.wordpress.com/