THE Commissioners of Irish Lights have welcomed the Government's decision to set up a public forum on the controversial Loran C radio navigation mast, but have expressed "disappointment" at the Minister for the Marine's directive that they must apply for planning permission again.
There has also been a qualified welcome from the Cross Loran C Action Group, which has run a five year campaign to oppose the mast's construction on the Loop Head peninsula. "We're suspicious," Mr John McInerney, spokesman for the group, said yesterday.
"Does this forum have any teeth? The fact is that enabling legislation has been rushed through the Dail, because the Minister was delivered an ultimatum by Irish Lights."
Five years after it was first planned, construction of the 720 foot mast as part of a European land based navigation system may not take place for another year. This follows the U turn announced by the Minister, Mr Barrett, in the Dail on Tuesday night.
Speaking on the amended 1894 Merchant Shipping Act, which permits Irish Lights to operate both the Loran C system and other radio based navigation aids, the Minister expressed concern about the "unsatisfactory, potentially damaging and inconsistent" state of affairs where opposition to the mast could not be expressed through any public forum.
In fact, opposition to the project was voiced at a nine day oral hearing before An Bord Pleanala in Ennis in June, 1994. Following the State's decision to appeal Clare County Council's decision to refuse permission for the mast, An Bord Pleanala approved it. At this point, the principal objectors the Cross Loran C Action Group in Clare, started a two year legal battle.
Two avenues were pursued to the Supreme Court first, which the objectors won, meant that Irish Lights had exceeded its powers in offering to operate the system - and also that most of its radio based navigation aids around the 2,700 mile coast were illegal.
The final hearing on the second avenue - the planning aspect - is pending in the Supreme Court.
In the Dail, the Minister said he was "not satisfied" that the Commissioners of Irish Lights should proceed with constructing the mast on the Loop Head peninsula, without allowing "such an informed and structured public debate".
Irrespective of the outcome of the planning appeal, Irish Lights would have to reapply for planning permission, Mr Barrett said.
Recalling the Dail's approval of the international agreement signed by Ireland on Loran C in 1992, the Minister said there was a lack of substantive public debate. However, all parties, including Fine Gael, agreed to the legislation in October, 1992, with little interest shown then in any long term implications.
Under the 1992 agreement, Loran C was adopted by Europe as a back up to the existing and much more accurate Global Positioning System (GPS), in an effort to reduce dependence on the US which designed it for satellite navigation. During the Gulf War, the GPS system was downgraded marginally but fishermen contend that it is still far more accurate than any of the existing land based systems, like Loran or Decca.
Responding to criticism of the Government's decision to push through all stages of the amending legislation, updating the powers of Irish Lights, Mr Barrett confirmed the commissioners had issued an ultimatum. All electronic aids fitted at lighthouses and buoys were to be switched off by the end of next week, if "remedial legislative action" was not taken in response to the Supreme Court judgment last year, or if an acceptable indemnity was not given to the commissioners, he said.
Capt Kieran O'Higgins of Irish Lights yesterday said the commissioners were "very pleased" that the legislation had been updated, empowering it to run its radiobased navigation aids. The organisation, which was acting as an agent for the Government in the mast project, also welcomed the public forum.
"We realise that the Minister is in a difficult position, politically and coming up to an election, said Capt O'Higgins. However, the commissioners were "disappointed" at the further delay in the planning process, he said. The project has already cost £3 million to date, with £900,000 incurred by the Exchequer, £500,000 by the supplier and operator, and £1.5 million by France and Holland - two of the European signatories which agreed to share the costs of the Irish link in the chain.
The mast structure is still believed to be in storage in France. A spokeswoman for the Department of the Marine said the two European partners had been informed of the latest developments. Details of the public forum are still being worked out, she said.
