Mr. William Finnerty
"St Albans", New Inn,
Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.
December 29th 2000
REGISTERED POST :
President Mary McAleese
Áras an Uachtaráin
Phoenix Park
Dublin 8.
Dear President McAleese,
RE: GUARDIANSHIP OF THE WRITTEN CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF
IRELAND
Thank you for your letter of December 21st 2000 confirming receipt of my earlier
correspondence to you.
I realise that you do not have executive functions. Nevertheless, the following
statement appears in the official web site of the Department of Foreign Affairs at the
Internet location http://www.irlgov.ie/iveagh/information/facts/factsaboutireland/historystate.htm#9:
"The Constitution, however, envisages the President as more than a ceremonial Head
of State. It gives the President certain powers that make the President in effect the
guardian of the Constitution."
As indicated in my Email of November 30th
2000 to the Minister of Environment and Local Government (Mr. Noel Dempsey T.D.), it seems to me
that the destruction of Site 93 (i.e. the Children’s Burial Ground in New Inn)
constitutes a straightforward and serious breach of Article
28a of the Constitution; and, as the Internet extract above clearly indicates that a
major part of the job you are paid to do as President is to police the Constitution, I am
very puzzled as to why you seem to believe that you have no responsibilities at all
regarding the destructive and disturbing matters I have related to you in connection with
Site 93 and the Cairn at Alloon?
I do not intend to write to you again regarding the destruction of Site 93, or the
severe damage to the Cairn at Alloon: both caused by Galway County Council. I feel I have
now provided you, Prime Minister Ahern, and the Government Ministers with enough factual
information for you to address the various problems effectively. Despite the letter to me
of November 2nd from Prime Minister Ahern’s
Office, and my Email reminder of November 30th to Minister Noel Dempsey, please note that
I have not heard anything at all from Mr Dempsey.
If you do not now exercise your duty promptly as guardian of the Constitution, I
suspect that further environmental type breaches of Article 28a will occur in the New Inn
area. Recent articles in two local weekly newspapers (The Galway Advertiser, and The Connacht Tribune) strongly
suggest that pressures are at present rapidly rising in connection with waste disposal
issues in County Galway. Also, the road work suddenly carried out at Cross (near New Inn)
some months ago (referred to in paragraph 6 of my letter
of October 26th 2000 to Prime Minister Ahern) suggests the possible presence of panic:
because the decision to carry out this road work appears to have pre-judged the outcome of
court cases which I understand have not yet taken place?
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to point out that Galway County Council
have left a string of eye sores on the remaining
landscape along the mile long (or so) section of the prehistoric Esker Riada ridge (and roadway) which they removed from New
Inn. These eye sores are still there for all to see - several years after the damage was
done. Far more revealing perhaps is the fact that Galway County Council appear to have no
plans whatsoever to try to make good this hefty piece of damage which they have inflicted
upon the local environment and the local people, and on Ireland’s heritage and its
history.
I would be very grateful if you could acknowledge
receipt of this letter within the coming 14 days please.
Yours sincerely,
Mr. William Patrick Finnerty.
| COPIES (via registered post) TO: |
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Prime Minister (Mr. B. Ahern T.D.)
Attorney General (Mr. Michael McDowell)
Editor of The Galway Advertiser (Mr. Ronnie O’ Gorman)
Editor of The Connacht Tribune (Mr. John Cunningham). |
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