Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

It was the Howth special amenity area order management committee. It was very useful because the National Parks and Wildlife Service was involved as it has a particular interest in SACs and so forth, and this was complementary. There were no conflicts. Within that area, there were recreational uses as well because there can be special areas of amenity and recreational uses in those as well. The idea, then, that these all potentially conflict and cannot exist in the same place and, therefore, that we cannot have our amendment is just hard to understand. It certainly goes against the ten years of experience I had on that management committee and how we managed the area very successfully and very well and with very good community participation. At no stage was any advice ever given to us that the special area of conservation within the amenity order area was in conflict with it - far from it. It is therefore surprising to hear this rationale put forward now when it flies against all the experience I had on the ground in this area.