Burren group debt move criticised

A leading opponent of the Burren Action Group during the 10-year Mullaghmore controversy has described as very unhelpful a move by the State to pursue seven of its members for an outstanding legal bill of €35,000.

In response to the State appointing Croskerrys, a Dublin-based legal firm specialising in debt collection, to pursue the seven for €34,427, Minister of State for Enterprise Tony Killeen, from Clare, said he was very surprised by the move.

"It is very unhelpful in the context of securing a long-term resolution to the benefit of the Burren and its people," he said. "This issue doesn't make it easier for something to happen."

Mr Killeen was a long-time supporter of the Mullaghmore centre and was involved in the last stand-off concerning the controversial visitor centre in February 2001 when he and others prevented machinery going on site to demolish the uncompleted facility.

The move by the State to pursue the seven plaintiffs for costs has also been criticised by Labour TD Michael D Higgins, who said it "poisons the atmosphere and is not in anyone's interest" - especially as the seven had acted in the public interest.

It also flies in the face of a belief in Europe that citizens taking cases in the public interest should be free from having heavy penalties imposed and being exposed to the actions of debt collectors, he added.

Court actions taken by the seven in the early 1990s had clarified the law on State agencies needing to secure planning permission for its developments. Previously, the State had been exempt from the normal process of development control, he said.

Green Party finance spokesman Dan Boyle also expressed support for the seven plaintiffs, saying it was "hard not to think of this action as a vindictive move" and he called on the Government to clear the outstanding debt.

The seven group members being pursued are best-selling author John O'Donoghue, broadcaster PJ Curtis, NUI Galway academic Prof Emer Colleran, broadcaster Leila Doolan, Fionnuala McNamara and two Burren farmers, James Howard and Patrick McCormack.

"This is an appalling situation that we find ourselves in," Mr Curtis said. He noted that work on the visitor centre was halted in 1993 by the High Court and permission was refused by An Bord Pleanála in 2000. Overall, the ill-fated project cost the State over €5 million.