Haughey not involved in Blasket challenge

A former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, does not intend taking part in an action challenging the constitutionality of a law to…

A former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, does not intend taking part in an action challenging the constitutionality of a law to turn the Great Blasket Island into a national park, the High Court was told yesterday.

One of the Blasket Islands, lnishvickillane, was bought on behalf of Mr Haughey, or his family, some years ago and he has had a holiday home built there.

Last December, Mr Justice Kelly, ruling on a preliminary issue, found that the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht had the power to make regulations to compulsorily acquire 17 of the 25 plots on the island.

The owners who are bringing the challenge were served with compulsory acquisition notices in 1991.

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Last Friday, Mr Justice Budd, who is hearing the action, said he wanted Mr Haughey's lawyers to be given a copy of the pleadings so they could consider whether he should be represented.

Yesterday, Dr Michael Forde SC, for the owners, said Mr Haughey's lawyers had now indicated that he did not intend to take part in the proceedings.

The owners of 17 plots on the Great Blasket had originally challenged the validity of An Blascaod Mor National Historic Park Act, 1989, and are now challenging its constitutionality.

The challenge is being taken against the State by Blascaod Mor Teo, with registered offices on the island and the beneficial owners of the company a Dingle solicitor, Mr Peter Call cry, his brother, Mr James Callery of Cloonahee House, Elphin, Co Roscommon, Ms Kay Brooks, the widow of a former US diplomat, and Mr Matthias Jauch, Mercier Park, Turner's Cross, Cork.

When the action opened last Wednesday, Dr Forde said the island residents had left one by one for the mainland and the US. The final evacuation took place in 1953. His clients were claiming that they would be deprived of all their property on the Blaskets.

His clients had spent time and money restoring the island since the 1970s. There was no need to turn it into a national park because it was already accessible to the public, he said.

Dr Forde said Mr Haughey was the man most instrumental in getting the legislation to turn the Great Blasket Island into a national park - his company had a 999 year lease on lnishvickillanc, which was not included in the expropriation.