Irreparable damage is being done to part of the Burren in Co Clare by limestone quarrying, the High Court has been told. Ms Justice Macken granted a temporary injunction to the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands restraining rock removal, blasting or any other excavation on a site at Cloonselherny, Co Clare.
The order, returnable to next Thursday, is against Mr Eamon Lee, of Dunkellin Street, Loughrea, Co Galway, and the owner of the lands, Mr Pascal Lee, of Cloonserne, Boston, Co Clare. It restrains both men and any person with notice of the order operating or acting in such a manner as to affect the integrity of a site at Cloonselherny, Co Clare.
In court yesterday, Mr Eamonn Galligan, for the Minister, said the lands in question formed part of a proposed special area of conservation - the East Burren Complex - and were also a priority habitat under a 1992 EC Directive.
Mr Galligan said the Minister was asking for the injunction because irreparable damage was being done.
In an affidavit, Dr Enda Mooney, deputy regional manager of Duchas, Burren National Park, said he was advised that in April 1997 documentation explaining the significance of the lands as a proposed special area of conservation had been issued to Mr Pascal Lee.
Dr Mooney said he inspected the land on January 5th and saw trucks loaded with limestone.
Substantial damage had been caused and continued to be caused to the limestone pavement which formed part of the East Burren Complex proposed conservation area. An inspection had revealed that large amounts of rock had been removed.
