New president of An Taisce wants it to lose its 'elitist' image

Changing An Taisce's image from "arrogant and elitist" to one where people think of it with a "warm glowy feeling in their heart" is the aim of its new president.

Ms Éanna Ní Lamhna, who was appointed president of the heritage and environmental watchdog on Saturday, says she wants to emphasise the positive work it does.

"People really do care about the environment. I see it every week on the radio programme; a wealth of people interested in it; ringing in."

Ms Ní Lamhna contributes to the weekly radio programme, Mooney Goes Wild on RTÉ.

"An Taisce's job is to safeguard the heritage of Ireland for the people of Ireland - its environmental and built heritage."

Asked about the controversies the organisation has become embroiled in, particularly over planning and one-off housing, she says she has no intention of taking An Taisce to a lower profile.

Monitoring planning applications and taking action when appropriate was one of its most important functions.

"But I wonder why people see it as the bully boy. Of the 70,000 planning applications made last year, An Taisce appealed only 248 of them. That's less than half a per cent."

When the organisation does lodge objections, she says, it is always on sound environmental and heritage grounds, and based on the planning laws as agreed by local authorities.

"When Ian [Lumley, An Taisce heritage officer] objects to a planning application for a house, it's not just because he's decided he doesn't like the look of it."

She criticises organisations which, like An Taisce, are "prescribed" bodies under the 2000 Planning Act to monitor planning applications for "not doing their job". These include the Arts Council, Fáilte Ireland and the National Roads Authority. "They don't do it. They leave it to An Taisce, and An Taisce becomes the whipping boy.

"I remember when there was foot and mouth, and the whole country was closed down, and it was all terrible and Fáilte Ireland was apologising about the state of things."

When the crisis had passed, a spokesman for Fáilte Ireland appeared on radio to announce Ireland was "open" again.

"I said to him that's all very well, but soon the level of pollution and destruction of the countryside will mean Ireland won't be able to be open."

She wants people to associate An Taisce more immediately with its work in co-ordinating Blue Flag and Green School campaigns, and the National Spring Clean in which 250,000 people took part this year. "An Taisce is Ireland's national trust. The National Trust in Britain is held in such high esteem. That is how it should be here."