Projects done in national interest must be scrutinised

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Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 22 August 2007

Dear Editor,

On the 23 June 2006, President George W. Bush issued an executive order stating the Federal Government must limit its use of taking private property for ‘public use’ with ‘just compensation’, for the ‘purpose of benefiting the general public’. He limited this use by stating that it may not be used ‘for the purpose of advancing the economic interest of private parties to be given ownership or use of the property taken’.

In Ireland, with the 2006 Act we have public property being used for the economic interest of a few under the guise of Strategic Infrastructure.

There is something not quite right about this.

Our politicians may not be the most honest people in the world, but they have been elected by the people and as such can be ousted in time. Private companies are answerable to no one expect their share holders, therefore they should have no influence over planning decisions and should not be in a position to use planning laws for their own gain.

Projects done in the National Interest must be scrutinized not only by cross party politicians but by the taxpaying public.

The 2006 Act facilitating the fast tracking of strategic infrastructure development should only be used with great discretion. It is a way of fast tracking developments like incinerators, wind farms, roads etc. It covers almost anything you want it to cover; that is its inherent danger.

How else can we be sure that developments under the fast tracking legalisation are open and transparent?

Yours sincerely,
Nuala Nolan

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