The ICMSA has criticised the Department of Arts, Culture & the Gaeltacht for barring farmers and local residents from an appeal hearing in Athlone today. The hearing was on the designation of an area near Lough Mask in County Mayo as a special area of conservation.
ICMSA President, Pat O'Rourke, said that the association's representative on an independent appeals board, Mr John O'Connor, would be seeking an adjournment of the hearing until this issue could be addressed. He said that farmers and residents were entitled to “hear and see what was going on”.
Local residents from County Mayo were asked to leave the appeal hearing before the Chairman, Mr Michael Mills, the former Ombudsman, began proceedings in Athlone this afternoon.
