A study into appeals over planning applications in Co Mayo has been welcomed by the North-Western Regional Fisheries Board as "vindicating" the controversial stance it has taken on appeals.
The study, commissioned by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, found the board had "reasonable grounds" for appealing planning applications to An Bord Pleanála, due to the negative impact of some developments on water quality and fisheries.
The Minister had sought an independent analysis of the potential for pollution and consequent potential damage to relevant fisheries from sewerage systems in the north-west region.
The report, by M.C. O'Sullivan consulting engineers, noted the concerns over water quality on the major lakes due to rising inputs of phosphorus. One of the causes of this was rural septic tanks. The report found that conventional septic tanks did not remove phosphorus from effluent to any significant degree. It also said that there was little evidence to suggest that proprietary waste-water systems removed nutrients effectively over the longer term.
The Minister said yesterday that he was "fully supportive of the North Western Fisheries Board's efforts" to protect river and lake habitats. He also said there was a need to respond to the concerns of communities in Mayo, where plans to build on sites close to watercourses had been held up. This delay, as now assessed, was due to "valid objections" by the board, he added.
The Minister said he noted a number of recommendations made by the consultants in the study relating to generation of a transparent planning policy, with respect to fisheries protection in the region.
The chief executive of the fisheries board, Mr Vincent Roche, welcomed the study, and said it had only appealed 44 applications over the last five years, less than 0.5 per cent of total applications decided by Mayo County Council.
The recommendations include collection of a series of data sets, which should be collated and made available to the relevant planning authorities.
These data sets relate to subsoils, a digital terrain model (measuring slope and run-off potential), detailed groundwater characterisation, sensitivity of fisheries and water quality.