by Louise Doyle
DONEGAL County Council says 19 cases against local quarries are at prosecution stage or already in court.
In the wake of the defective block scandal the local authority commenced a review of the 187 quarries registered with it since 2012.
During the course of its investigations, a further 42 cases had to be opened.
From those, 38 enforcement notices were served as well as nine warning letters and 11 cases of general correspondence.
A council spokesperson told the Donegal News: “Donegal County Council currently has 19 no. quarry cases currently at prosecution stage and/ or in court.”
But this figure has been described as “highly irregular” by Gerard Moyne, a member of the Donegal-based consultancy company Defending Environmental Wealth (DEW). Set up one year ago, DEW describes itself as ‘an environmental consultancy to define and understand the legal concepts involved in our environment’.
Mr Moyne said it was his belief that the number prosecutions pending was almost 11 times greater, at 210. He said DEW was “deeply concerned at the state of affairs with regard to Donegal’s quarry industry”.
“I would say that that that figure is highly irregular. I have been told that the number of pending prosecutions is 210.”
Mr Moyne said the job of planning enforcement needs greater numbers behind it at local authority level. Currently, there is just one Planning Enforcement Officer with Donegal County Council, Mr Martin McDermott.
“He is working in a very difficult situation, in a situation of apathy, really. We need a process that is much more open and transparent. Enforcement is a huge job, it needs a greater number of individuals involved. DEW work pro bono for the public good. We are a force to be recognised.”
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