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INERTIA ON CONSERVATION

Letter to the Editor - Irish Times 6 March 2001

Sir, - Michael Viney (Weekend, January 27th) stated that conservation
organisations in Ireland believe that the State is doing as little for
nature conservation as it can get away with. We would like to clarify how
this view has been arrived at.

For the past six years the IPCC has been calling on Dúchas, the State agency
responsible for nature conservation, to carry out a survey of fens in
Ireland. These valuable wildlife areas, recognised by the EU Habitats
Directive, are under increasing threat (e.g. Pollardstown Fen), and unless a
State-wide survey is undertaken many sites may be destroyed before their
value is recognised.

The Irish Fen Inventory undertaken by the Irish Peatland Conservation in
2000 identified 65 new conservation-worthy fens. These are not listed by
Dúchas and have no legal protection. They are under immediate threat from
drainage, landfill and reclamation. The IPCC has presented the results of
its study to Dúchas in the hope that this would initiate a comprehensive
national survey of fens.

In the past Dúchas has told us that a fen survey could not be carried out
because of lack of finances. This excuse is no longer valid. The IPCC has
been informed by senior Dúchas staff that funds have now been set aside for
such a survey.

Although Dúchas agrees that a survey is required because of their incomplete
information on fens, failure to implement the survey now seems to be due to
a lack of political will and administrative failures within Dúchas.

In the same Michael Viney article, a director of Dúchas, Dr Alan Craig, was
quoted as saying that a widespread breakdown of trust (between non-government
organisations and Dúchas) had occurred and that non-government organisations
do not co-operate with Dúchas. The IPCC feels these comments are misleading
and that in fact any difficulties are the result of failures by Dúchas to
engage in real, meaningful dialogue and consultation with environmental
groups in Ireland. Environmental groups are not treated as partners in the
common goal of nature conservation in this country. - Yours, etc.,

PATRICK CRUSHELL, MSc, Conservation Officer, Irish Peatland Conservation
Council, Capel Street, Dublin 1.

ends