Ten leading environmental organisations in Europe have written to Taoiseach Enda Kenny urging him to make the green economy a central theme of Ireland’s six month presidency of the EU. 

In a letter to the Taoiseach on Friday, Genon Jensen of Green 10 implicitly criticises the Government decision to focus on jobs and growth alone during its presidency, which begins on January 1st. 

Green 10 is an umbrella of 10 major environmental organisations including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Climate Action Network, Birdlife International, the World Wildlife Federation and the European Environmental Bureau.

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AN Taisce has admitted an error in its report on local planning practices, which had placed Mayo Co Council among the lowest ranked local authorities in the country.

The report – State of the Nation, a Review of Ireland’s Planning System 2000–2011 mistakenly gave Mayo an F grade after omitting one of the eight indicators used to rank the 34 city and county councils. In fact, the omitted category (overzoning) was the one in which Mayo performed best, meaning the final outcome was strongly weighted against the local county council.

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A LEADING campaigner against the Corrib Gas project in north Mayo yesterday denied accusing a garda sergeant of being a thief and a smuggler.

Pat O'Donnell (54), of Porturlin, Ballina -- known locally as 'The Chief' -- was defending an action for defamation taken against him by James Gill (52), of Crossmolina, a former station sergeant at Bangor Erris, Co Mayo.

Mr Gill, who retired from the force last month, told Mayo Circuit Court that on November 3, 2006, he was in charge of a group of about 15 gardai among a total force of 150 gardai policing a Shell-to-Sea protest in Bellanaboy. There were about 100 protesters present at the event, which began at about 7.30am.

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Now the National Transport Authority (NTA), which funds the programme run by An Taisce to encourage children to walk or cycle to school, has raised ''serious concerns'' about the manner in which the programme has been run.

The purpose of the review was to provide an independent opinion on the adequacy and effectiveness of the control An Taisce maintained over "the delivery of funded services and the associated financial control arrangements''.

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EVEN AS A 15- year- old schoolboy at Belvedere College, in Dublin, Kevin B Nowlan was called the professor. His classmates knew of his unusual interest in archaeology, and he was already going to meetings of the Old Dublin Society. Now, asked how it f eels to be approaching 90, he says: "I feel more or less as I always did. Perhaps, in a sense, I was always old . . . As long as you're in good health and keep your mind active you can't ask for much more. Being active is the important thing, and I hope to remain active for some time."

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The Irish Heritage Trust has rescued only Fota House in Cork The Irish Heritage Trust has rescued only Fota House in Cork

A trust set up by the government five years ago to buy and preserve stately homes has rescued one property so far and "has not operated - or been as successful - as originally envisaged", a review found.

The Irish Heritage Trust (IHT) has suffered from weaknesses in its business plans, and problems with a tax break designed to encourage private owners to donate stately homes. The review found the trust had had little success in securing charitable donations, and that "no significant private funding has emerged to support [its] work".

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The Irish Seal Sanctuary has been helping rescued animals for more than 20 years The Irish Seal Sanctuary has been helping rescued animals for more than 20 years

T he chairwoman of the Irish Seal Sanctuary (ISS) has said the charity's members are "devastated" after its founder and board director allegedly persuaded a donor to withdraw a €10,000 contribution.

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Forty years ago, Friends of the Earth announced its arrival in the UK with a handful of placard-waving volunteers dumping 1,500 non-returnable Schweppes bottles on the front steps of the company's head office, and demanding that government and industry set up a nationwide recycling network. The media went bonkers. The protest made front page news and the evening TV bulletins. It was the shock of the new.

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After all that has happened to wreck this once sovereign land, first environmentally and then financially - for make no mistake about it, there is a strong relationship between these two, the familiar cries have resumed.

More madcap, clearly unsustainable developments, more rezoning, and that ever-popular, vote-getter, more one-off housing in the fast becoming sub urbanised countryside, are just what we need to get us out of this pesky fix, lift our spirits and remind us what a great little country we are.

So, on that basis, we simply don't have enough mega shopping-complexes, including of course, stacks of "luxury" apartments and the must-have retail units.

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Mr Mantle, who has been managing director of Delphi Fishery Ltd in Leenane, Co Galway, for the past 25 years, has hosted Prince Charles of Britain among his many guests at the lodge formerly owned by the Marquis of Sligo.

A vocal opponent of fish farms and of drift netting for salmon, he was a leading member of the Sea Trout Action Group (Stag) which was formed over the issue of sea lice two decades ago.

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good use'

HERITAGE body An Taisce has defended its decision to accept €30,000 in donations from supermarket giant Tesco and Indaver, a firm that is building incinerators in Meath and Cork.

There were calls yesterday for An Taisce to be 'stood down' until an investigation into its funding takes place to find out whether it has a conflict of interest.

However, An Taisce heritage officer Ian Lumley branded the complaints as "spurious" and pointed to the organisation's opposition to developments by both Tesco and Indaver.

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THE FINANCIAL position of environmental charity An Taisce has moved into the black after a few difficult years.

In a report in advance of the charity's annual general meeting at the end of the month, treasurer Eric Conroy gave details of a small surplus of €1,400 for the end of 2007, compared with losses of €18,000 in 2006 and €51,000 in 2005.

Mr Conroy said the surplus would have been €45,000 higher if planned funds from Government relating to planning work in 2007 had been received. He was confident confident the funds would be forthcoming shortly.

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An Taisce, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched the Green Home programme. At the launch. Environment Minister John Gormley awarded participating communities with the Green Home flag, in acknowledgement of their efforts to improve environmental actions within the home.

The aim of the Green Home programme is to raise environmental awareness and support positive and sustainable environmental actions amongst householders and community groups.

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A "PASSIONATE environmentalist" who caused damage totalling €3 million in an arson attack on the Irish headquarters of the Jesuit Order has been given a five-year sentence.

Noah Bunn (26), a former clerical employee of the Jesuits and member of environmental group Friends of the Earth, set the fire on Good Friday last year because he believed the order wasn't using its "moral authority" to alert the world to the dangers of climate change.

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