THE European Commission is taking action against the Government over the controversial plan to locate a sewage treatment plant for Galway city on Mutton Island on Galway Bay.
Proceedings have been initiated against the Government, alleging the £23 million scheme would infringe the Commission's Wild Birds Directive. Mutton Island is a significant sanctuary for bird life, which is one of the reasons the Commission expressed serious doubt about locating the plant there.
News of the proceedings emerged yesterday at a hearing by the European Parliament's Petitions Committee on the scheme.
After three years of controversy over the site, the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, announced in January that he favoured Mutton Island site and that even if the EU did not provide the money, the Exchequer would fund construction of the plant there.
His action brought a sharp rebuke from the Regional Policy Commissioner, Ms Monika Wulf-Mathies, followed by her announcement that the project would get no EU money.
At yesterday's hearing, the Dublin Labour MEP, Ms Bernie Malone, made representations for opponents of the island site, including the Save Galway Bay group, An Taisce, Galway Labour councillor, Mr Tom Costello, and other members of the Galway Labour branch. She urged the Petitions Committee to refer the project to the European Court of Justice because of the harmful effects it would have on bird life and the visual beauty of Galway Bay.
Galway Corporation has advertised tenders for preliminary work on the plant, involving construction of a 1,000 metre causeway to the island.
"To build a causeway from the mainland to the island would be visually unattractive and would cause problems of sedimentation, and this would lead to nearby beaches being denuded of sand," she told the committee.