A new group seeking to have planning laws enforced will be set up at a meeting in Co Roscommon tonight.
The meeting will take place in the home of Ms Catherine Ansbro, in Kingsland, near Boyle, and people from as far away as counties Kildare and Wexford, as well as from Connaught, have sought to attend.
The meeting resulted from a gathering a month ago, also in Ms Ansbro's home, to discuss the planning laws and problems with their implementation. It was addressed by a Leitrim-based solicitor who is an expert in European environmental law, Ms Barbara Ohlig-Schaefer. That meeting was attended by between 50 and 60 people from seven counties.
"The problems raised included the difficulty with forcing the local authorities to enforce the planning laws," said Ms Ansbro. "Even the Ombudsman cannot make local authorities enforce the law.
"The meeting also highlighted conflicts of interest where companies carry out their own tests for pollution control. We also heard that an elderly farmer is having his right of way for cattle taken away by a new development. Defending his right of way would cost money he does not have.
"A landowner in Connaught secured planning permission for seven houses on condition they were sold to local people. Two years later, they are all owned by people from outside the area. A local authority in Leinster ignored the illegal dumping of construction sub-soil, despite repeated complaints."
Initially the group will set up a helpline and website to facilitate the sharing of information, according to Ms Ansbro. "Some people have taken over four years to find out what they have to do. People are having to constantly reinvent the wheel.
"New European legislation says that the public must have the opportunity to participate meaningfully in decision-making about development that affects them. This new national network is a way we can take the initiative in this process."
The group will also identify what individuals and groups exist at EU level to assist in the implementation of environmental law. It will decide on a name tonight, and on ways to seek funding.
Eventually its work may lead to highlighting areas where reform of the law is needed, she said. Already those who attended the first meeting highlighted loopholes in the anti-pollution legislation "that you could drive a lorry through".
Ms Ansbro stressed the group was not linked to any political organisation, and that those attending the meeting came from a wide variety of backgrounds. "It is a residents' initiative," she said.
Details can be obtained from Ms Ansbro at 094-9870974 or 087-2047625.