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Who we are > Our Role

An Taisce's role in Ireland

Introduction

This document is presented in two sections: the first section details the role of An Taisce, and the second, provides an outline of why this role is important within the context of Ireland’s economic development.

An Taisce’s core principles and roles are underpinned by the application of the concept of Sustainable Development at all levels of the organisation.

1. Impartial Monitor

An Taisce acts as an impartial monitor on the application of EU environmental legislation at local level – thereby highlighting the potential threat of EU financial sanctions for failure to implement legislation or breaches of the legislation. This is evidenced by An Taisce submissions to Local Authorities which make reference to the need to ensure that developments comply with the Groundwater Directive 80/86/EEC. An Taisce also reviews applications within the context of the requirement to have EIS’ and appraises the effectiveness of EIS implementation in Ireland[1]

An Taisce provides evidence of incorrect planning decisions that may end up costing the State in the long-run – i.e. authorisation of development that will have the overall impact of feeding into increasing the CO2 emissions outputs at national level. Examples include inappropriate location of housing development, retail development, and CO2 generating energy plants[2]. This is evidenced in the rate of reversal of local authority decisions by An Bord Pleanála on foot of planning appeal cases taken An Taisce's. In 2004 An Taisce was referred and reviewed approximately 12,000 applications and made approximately 4,000 submissions to local authorities. Arising from these submissions and subsequent decisions of local authorities nationally, An Taisce made appeals to the Board. In 2003, 248 appeals[3] were taken. A similar number of appeals were taken in 2004.

An Taisce provides evidence to Government on the performance of local authorities in delivering the provisions of the 2000 Planning & Development Act and 2001 Regulations, i.e.:
- Local administration
- Interpretation
- Application

(e.g. presentation of evidence to the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, November 6, 2003)

2. Issue and Awareness Raising

An Taisce’s Green Schools programme is working in the education sector to promote environmental awareness to a key target audience. The Green Schools rate of participation at now 40% of all schools in the country (2005) This is the highest per capita rate of all Green School programme of all participating countries.

An Taisce’s network of Local Associations and 5,000 members mirrors many elements of the Local Agenda 21 model. An Taisce supports its members and network of Local Associations by facilitating a bottom-up consultative approach when making submissions on national or local planning policy.

3. Consultative Prescribed Body

An Taisce acts as a key consultation Prescribed Body under Section 24 of the 2000 Planning and Development Act for input into national policy formulation. An Taisce responds to consultation requests on an on-going basis, examples include:
- Submission on the Regional Planning Guidelines forthe Border Region; consultation paper submitted April 28, 2004;
- Submission on the Regional Planning Guidelines for the West Regional Authority; consultation paper submitted April 26, 2004;
- Submission on the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government (DoEHLG) Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines, April 31, 2004;
- Submission on the DoEHLG Draft Wind Energy Guidelines, September 30, 2004;
- Review of Proposal for A Carbon Energy Tax; consultation paper submitted September 30, 2003;
- Review of Retail Planning Guidelines; consultation paper submitted October 3, 2003;
- Review of Heritage Act 1995; consultation paper submitted October 20, 2003;
- Review of Regional Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area – Strategic Environmental Assessment, Scoping Paper; consultation paper submitted to ATKINS, October 29, 2003;

An Taisce acts as a key consultation Prescribed Body under Article 28 (1) of the 2001 Regulations for planning applications that fall under a wide range of headings (amenity, protected structures, sites of heritage interest, national monuments, nature conservation) and for applications that contain EIS’. An Taisce made an average of 40 submissions per week in response to local authority planning application referrals in the period October-February 2005. This figure excludes submissions on County Development and Local Area Plans, National Policy submissions and on-going reporting on planning enforcement cases.

An Taisce acts as a key consultation Prescribed Body in the area of waste and natural environment under:

An Taisce records an average annual submission rate of 40%on aquaculture applications referred to it for comment. (Note all applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and therefore not all applications will warrant a response from An Taisce).

4. Management and Development of Public Heritage Properties in Perpetuity for the IrishState

An Taisce is part of a large global movement of approved National Trusts which preserve and hold property in perpetuity for the benefit of their respective peoples. The Irish State needs support in conserving Ireland’s heritage. An Taisce, through its work on the development of the proposed National Trust legislation, will have greater capacity to execute heritage property function. This will lead to reduced dependence on public funding for the management and development of the State’s important heritage endowment.

An Taisce owns the following properties and sites:

The Boyne Navigation, Co. Meath
6,500 acres of mountainside at Crocnafarragh, Co.Donegal
Land at Mullaghmore, the Burren, Co. Clare
Offshore Islands, Co. Donegal
Mongan Bog, Clonmacnoise, Co. Offaly
Kanturk Castle, Co. Cork
Tailors’ Hall, Dublin City
Howth Courthouse, Fingal County
Wildlife Reserve, Morehampton Road, Dublin City
Gort Weighhouse, Co. Galway
Booterstown Marsh, Co. Dublin

5. Advocate Of Government Policy

An Taisce acts as an advocate in upholding Government planning policy – challenging local level planning decisions that would otherwise be difficult to address because of local politics. An Taisce plays an important role in emphasising national planning policy principles at local level and also ensuring that it is applied by local authorities at local level[4].

6. Raising Ireland’s Environmental Profile Internationally

An Taisce’s international profile is evidenced by representation on and affiliation with bodies such as:

The National Trust (UK and Northern Ireland)
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
European Environment Bureau
Europa Nostra
Alfred Beit Foundation,
Foundation for Environmental Education (via GreenSchools, Blue Flag, White Flag Projects)

7. Communicating with National and Local Government

An Taisce liaises with government and partakes in constructive dialogue on wide-ranging environmental issues. Examples include the future formulation of Ireland’s response to EU legislation on the REACH Directive for the labelling of hazardous chemicals and provision of background information for the development of common positions - such as the European Constitution issue in relation to EURATOM.

Independent Monitoring

1. Why it is important to have an independent monitoring body

The Economic and Social Research Institute Mid-Term Review of the National Development Plan (November, 2003) gave recognition to the need to ensure that theNational Spatial Strategy underlies policy formulation and implementation at national, regional and local level. The ESRI report put forward the recommendation that “a significant reallocation of funding be made to underpin the National Spatial Strategy, which was published after the NDP began in 2000”.

The report indicated that although the economy prospered in the 5 years up to 2003, there has been a correlated "major increase in greenhouse gas emissions”[5]. Furthermore, the ESRI indicated that “Prospects for output growth in the agriculture, fishing and food processing sectors will be limited. The loss of competitiveness will continue to affect prospects for the tourism sector”[6].

Ireland’s economic strengths and comparative advantage must be protected, enhanced and further harnessed. Its strengths and areas of comparative advantage are however being weakened by diseconomies such as congestion, and by non-compliance with the provisions of the NSS at regional and county level. The issues and areas that require particular attention are:

Potential threat to industrial development; potential growth sectors (from an environmental perspective):

1. Tourism and alternative/eco tourism - product and market positioning related issues

2. Agriculture/Agri-food sector - product and market positioning related issues

3. Environment consulting – growth sector

4. Environmental technology sector – growth sector

5. Environmental education sector – growth sector

6. Alternative energy sector – growth sector

7. Waste management and recycling – growth sector

Ireland’s international reputation – and its impact on the locational preferences of foreign direct investment (FDI) companies
- International reputation vis-à-vis the environment
- Quality of life issues for both citizens of Ireland and mobile inward investors assessing Ireland against other countries (housing, health, community and social services, transportation provision etc.)
- Business efficiencies: getting it wrong costs money (e.g. congestion, energy use inefficiencies etc.)

2. Conclusion

The role of An Taisce as an independent monitoring body provides government and governmental departments with a valuable independent insight of how national policy is failing to be implementedat local level.

An Taisce provides feedback and reportage which is unique within the country. It provides government with county by county evidence of the failure to uphold the principle of “proper planning and sustainable development”, which is enshrined in the Planning & Development Act 2000.

It also assists in the formulation of policy and challenges local authorities in relation to compliance with national and EU policy on an on-going basis through participation in the Irish planning system.

If Ireland is to maintain its comparative advantage in key sectors, and develop ‘first mover advantage’ in emerging growth sectors, it is vital:

That the environmental resource base is protected;
That the environmental resource base is harnessed for energy development, farm-based extensification projects and increasing the range of tourism product available within Ireland;
That regional and county development strategies delivered are in line with the the recommendations of the National Spatial Strategy;

The above approach forms the basis of the recommendations of the EU Spatial Planning Ministers under the ‘European Spatial Development Perspective’ which is the regional development model for Europe[7].

[1] An Taisce submission to the European Environment Bureau, November 2003: Barriers to the Exercise of Rights under, and the Enforcement of, The EIA Directive in Ireland.

[2] Sustainable Energy Ireland (Nov. 2003) report: New Car Registrations in Year 2000 states that changes in car user behaviour (i.e. 10% mileage reduction) could yield 10% reduction in CO2 car emissions or 441 kt CO2, recurring annually. SEI also indicate that changes in purchasing behaviour of 10% purchase shift to the most efficient cars could yield annual emissions reduction of 53kt CO2 or 1.2% of CO2 emissions from the total car fleet.

[3] An Bord Pleanala, January 2004

[4] An Taisce Appeals Summary Analysis presented to the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, November 6, 2003

[5] ESRI (2003): Mid-Term Review of the National Development Plan: Summary and Recommendations section

[6] Ibid

[7] http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/official/reports/som_en.htm