Sir, - The long delayed National Biodiversity Plan is being circulated inter-departmentally by the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands as part of Ireland's commitment to the Rio Convention.
Consultation is a prerequisite for the formulation of a national biodiversity plan as laid down in the guidelines for the preparation of this plan. Yet consultation with environmental groups consisted of a sole call for submission in 1997 and one recent meeting.
At this meeting, officials of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands read from the subject headings of the draft National Biodiversity Plan. But NGOs were not allowed to see the document - let alone a copy.
The manner in which the consultation process has been handled over the last four years shows just how far we are from real and meaningful co-operation between the Department and the NGOs.
Irish NGOs are accused of reacting negatively to even the best conservation initiatives. The problem is that our views are seldom genuinely sought before it is too late. - Yours, etc.,
Tony Lowes, An Taisce, Paul Galvin, Birdwatch, Peter Foss, IPCC, Lorraine Dufficey, Irish Wildlife Trust, Ruth McGrath, VOICE, Dublin 8.