MW
Sent: Friday,
December 21, 2001 10:54 AM
Subject:
European Parliament Petition
809/2001
Despite the many £millions of taxpayers
money which are being spent on the Law Court
"Tribunals", it is my
view (based on what I see as hard evidence) that political-type
skulduggery still appears to be rampant in the
Republic of Ireland regarding matters connected with the protection
of the environment.
PLEASE NOTE: I would like to state that I am happy for
members of the Committee on Petitions to print out copies
of anything they wish (anytime) from either of the above
two web sites: on the understanding that such copies are
for their own personal use only, and that they will not be used for
financial gain. Also, I hope to have added computer
translation facilities for the most popular of the European
languages to all of the relevant pages before January; and, as you
may know, most of the pages which relate to petition
809/2001 already have this facility.
All things considered, it appears (to me) that the State of the
Republic of Ireland is itself acting well outside
the limits of its own written Constitution in regard to a
number of important matters connected with environmental
issues. Far more importantly (as I see it), the State of the
Republic of Ireland does not (at the present time) appear to have
what it takes to purge itself of the defects which are
sustaining the set of problems connected with petition
809/2001: even though there appears to be a
legal precedent for doing so. "The Supreme Court decided in Byrne v Ireland
(1972), that the State is a juristic person which can be sued for
the wrongful acts of its public servants." This is a quote from page 9
of the 1999 edition of the book entitled
"PRINCIPLES OF IRISH LAW" (5th edition) by
Brian Doolan (who is a barrister, and who lectures
in law at the Dublin Institute of
Technology).
PLEASE NOTE: "PRINCIPLES OF IRISH
LAW" is published by Gill & Macmillan
( http://www.gillmacmillan.ie/college/law.htm ); the
ISBN reference number is
0-7171-2839-3; and, as far as I know, copies
are usually available (off-the-shelf) at many of the larger
bookshops here in the Republic of Ireland.
The problems connected with Petition 809/2001 have been
discussed by me with a number of lawyers who practice here in
the Republic of Ireland. Privately (at least), they appear to
believe that the use of the "order of
mandamus" legal procedure would provide a remedy for many
(if not all) of the problems: because it can be used to compel
a person, or a body (such as Galway County Council for example), to
perform a legally imposed duty. I understand that President
Mary McAleese is a lawyer, and consequently that she
must know about the order-of-mandamus remedy. (As
you may know, the President of the Republic of Ireland is the
overall guardian of the Constitution: with job responsibilities - it
appears to me at least - for ensuring that the State's
political-type standards are kept within reasonable
limits.)
PLEASE NOTE: I did consider trying to make use of the
order-of-mandamus remedy myself. As you possibly know, in the
Republic of Ireland the services of three lawyers (one solicitor,
and two barristers - one senior and one junior) are required to
initiate the process. However, it quickly became clear to me
that I might have enormous difficulties finding lawyers who were
prepared to undertake the job: even though I had readily available
cash to pay for their legal fees, and there was (and still is) what
I regard as irrefutable evidence of raw sewage discharges going
straight into the river in New Inn village within yards of
where I live. Some additional information regarding
the eleven law firms I contacted can be seen at: http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/legal-help.htm
With further reference to recent comments made by
Councillor James Joyce (as related on page 11 of
The Connacht Tribune Newspaper article dated December 14th
2001), I note from what he has stated that the sewage system in
the East Galway town of Eyrecourt also
discharges raw sewage into the local river.
The river in question (called the Eyrecourt river) is a tributary of
the River Shannon (which is Ireland's largest
river). I believe the Committee on Petitions
considering Petition 809/2001 should be made aware (without delay)
of the fact that this part of the Shannon (like most other parts) is
much used by people such as anglers, holiday makers, and tourists of
all kinds; and that it is just 8 miles or so upstream from the East Galway town of Portumna:
which is one of the main tourist centres on the Shannon.
For further information on the tourism industry in the
Portumna area please see:http://www.connoisseurafloat.com/iacontent/en/47.phtml and
/ or http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=portumna%2Bholidays&btnG=Google+Search
As you probably know, one of the main problems with raw
sewage is that it can contain many types of disease-causing
organisms. These include (for instance) strains of the
bacterium referred to as "E. coli
O157:H7". It has been well known for some
considerable time now that E. coli O157:H7 can cause a variety of
very serious medical problems in humans: some of which are
life-threatening (particularly for the very young and the very
old). Treatment for the set of illnesses in question can
involve such things as blood transfusions, kidney dialysis, kidney
replacements, and the need to spend a period of
time in intensive care.
It seems to be common knowledge that one young woman in the
village of New Inn has fairly recently had to have a kidney
transplant. It is also the case that at least one elderly
person who used to live in the village of New Inn suddenly took
ill some years ago and died from kidney failure a week or so
later. The elderly person in question was my own mother.
In addition, a teenage girl from the parish of Bullaun
/ New Inn (who used to work part-time for my brother) had a very
close encounter with death a few years ago: because (I understand)
of an e-coli infection.
PLEASE NOTE: There could have been other similar
medical problems around the New Inn (County Galway) area which I
would know nothing about (largely because I have lived most of my
life in places other than Ireland). Also, and allowing for the fact
that New Inn has already hosted a large rubbish dump for a period
of 18 years or so (between 1971 to
1989), I would be very interested to know if any attempt
is being made by the European Parliament health authorities to
monitor area-patterns of illnesses associated with water
pollution coming from land-fill sites of the kind in question?
There is strong evidence (connected with - among other things - the
unlawful destruction of an ancient Children's Burial Ground), that
throughout the 18 year period it was in use, this particular rubbish
dump may have been run in a completely reckless fashion by Galway
County Council.
Further information regarding E. coli O157:H7 can be seen
at: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/ecoli.html and
/ or at http://www.google.com/search?q=E.+coli+0157%3AH7&btnG=Google+Search
I have made numerous attempts to bring the matter of
the raw sewage discharges into the river in New Inn village to
the attention of the medical authorities here in the Republic of
Ireland. For example, I pointed it out to the Minister
for Health Mr. Micheal Martin T.D. in a letter to him dated
July 27th 2000. For a variety of reasons, copies of this
particular letter were also sent to the following three
people:
a) Dr. Anne Jeffers (Consultant Psychiatrist, Western
Health Board),
b) Dr. Sheila Ryan (Chief
Executive Officer of the Western health
Board), and c) Mr. Kenneth Murphy (Director
General of The Law Society of Ireland).
Scanned copies of the Post Office receipts for the four
registered letters in question can be seen at: http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/post-moh.htm
PLEASE NOTE: Although some alterations were made around the area
of the bridge in New Inn village six months or so ago, the several
sewage discharges still go straight into the river; and
the odours from the Primary School sewage system are still
present. Some photographic evidence can be seen at: http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/environment.htm
In so far as I can judge, the ongoing difficulties outlined in
Petition 809/2001 are not the consequence of government money
shortages of any kind. Media reports suggest that a
considerable amount of cabinet discussion time is now being
spent on matters relating to a sports complex which
it is estimated could (if it goes ahead) cost something in the
region of £550 million. It is to be located
somewhere in or around Prime Minister Ahern's
own electoral constituency area in the Dublin region.
In connection with this project, at least one senior cabinet
minister now appears to be having major doubts (relating
to "priority" considerations, it seems). Nevertheless, the
following quote has appeared in the December 17th 2001 edition of
The Irish Independent Newspaper: ' Mr Ahern said only
last week that he remained "as committed as ever" to the Abbotstown
complex.'
Further information can be found
at: http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=657930&issue_id=6563
There are a number of other reports in circulation here
concerning allegations and complaints (being made
by politicians other than Councillor
James Joyce) that government ministers are spending money (intended
for the country as a whole) in a disproportionate way: which is
heavily biased in favour of their own electoral
constituencies. If true, this is done presumably (?)
for the purpose of boosting re-election chances:
and/or furthering their own political ambitions perhaps(?). As
an example of the kind of report I have in mind, the November
30th 2001 edition of The Irish Times Newspaper
carries an article (on page 14 of the Features section)
which states that £6.5 million has recently been
spent on a new music centre "in the heart of the
constituency of Sile de Valera, the Minister for Arts, Heritage,
Gaeltacht and the Islands".
As far as I know, it is the case that nothing remotely resembling
that kind of £6.5 million sum has been spent on any one particular
heritage project in the East Galway area during Ms Sile de Valera's
term in office as Heritage Minister. I do know though
that there is still no sign (that I know of) of any
money being spent on certain important and needy heritage
sites in the parish of Bullaun & New
Inn. Woodlawn House (for example) is literally
falling to pieces at the present time - even though the site
was visited by an architect from The Heritage Council
(on October 18th 2001) who expressed the view that the
building was definitely worth saving. Further information can
be found at: http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/wh/pr2.htm
The world famous Turoe Stone is also located in
the parish of Bullaun & New Inn. For various reasons this
priceless item of Celtic heritage - which is well known to have
close links with the
La
Tène area of Switzerland (right in heart
of mainland Europe), and which is thought to be
somewhere in the region of 2,000 years old, has been struggling (by
itself) for some time now to retain its shape and general
appearance. Help has been sought; but, no help seems to be
forthcoming: even though the matter was brought to the attention of
both Heritage Minister Sile de Valera herself, and the then
Junior Minister for Heritage Mr. Éamon Ó
Cuív, over two years ago. More
detailed information can be found at: http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/protest/nov21_stone.htm
With due regard for the information I have
provided above (and elsewhere in earlier correspondence),
it seems to me that many ordinary citizens (including
myself) are systematically and blatantly being deprived of some
of the most basic environmental protections provided for us in
law: for no good reason that I know
of.
As I see it, a person's local environment is by far the most
important asset that they have; and consequently I take these
matters extremely seriously: as I hope the Committee on
Petitions will when they start to examine petition 809/2001 in
January.
I fully realise (and accept) that, in the interests of fairness,
the European Parliament will now require a reasonable amount of
time to consider this and earlier information I have
provided in connection with petition 809/2001. At
the same time though, I do hope that there will not be any
undue delay. In connection with this point, I feel that the
petition 809/2001 type difficulties I have been struggling with
during the past few years have been ignored by a lot of people -
some of whom are being very well paid from taxpayers money - who (in
my view) should know better. Regardless of whether
such feelings are justified or not, it is nevertheless the case that
throughout this lengthy period I have often felt as though I am
being subjected to some form of very ugly and very potent
psychological violence: which possibly has no limits attached
to it.
There is also of course the matter of the stress and strain
connected with my financial expenses: which, apart from a sum
of £2,300 donated by my brother in the early stages of
this long drawn out saga, have all had to come from my
own personal savings. These financial reserves are much
depleted now: as are my emotional reserves.
Allowing for the contents of the two paragraphs immediately
above, it would be very much appreciated if you and your colleagues
would please consider forwarding this e-mail to the members of
the Committee on Petitions BEFORE they start
their work on petition 809/2001 in January. Later today, I
intend to send a copy of this e-mail to you through the registered
post (which I will sign).
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your
colleagues at the European Parliament for all of your help to date
in connection with petition 809/2001.
I would also of course like to wish you all a very
Happy Christmas.
Sincerely.
Mr. William Finnerty.
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Printed copies of the above
e-mail were also sent on December 21st 2001 through the
registered post to the three people shown
below: | |
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