The text of an Email dated June 30th 2001 to Garda Síochána Commissioner Pat Byrne (regarding interference with this web site) is reproduced below.

Acknowledgement of receipt from Police

For various reasons, there are no links to this page from the main part of our web site.

List of threats to local environment

Dear Commissioner Byrne,

Earlier today (around 8 a.m.) I sent an e-mail to Eircom regarding what appears to me as unwanted (and possibly unauthorised?) interference with the Internet web site which Eircom host for me. This particular round of problems began for me several days ago - i.e. on June 20th or 21st last. (At around 8.05 a.m. this morning I forwarded copies of the e-mail in question to you, to President McAleese, and to Attorney General Michael McDowell - which I assume have all been delivered by now.)

Allowing for the fact that my Eircom web site was not available on the Internet this morning, I cannot help feeling at present that the unwanted interference referred to in the paragraph above MIGHT somehow be connected with my ongoing efforts at protecting ancient monuments in the East County Galway area. A very compressed version of the present situation regarding the overall heritage-site difficulties I am working on can be seen in the third paragraph of the e-mail I sent yesterday to Finance Minister Mr.Charlie McCreevy T.D. (My e-mail of yesterday to Mr.Charlie McCreevy is reproduced below; and, as you will see, I later forwarded copies of it to others.)

I would be very grateful to you if you could have the above mentioned matters looked into for me please. I am self-employed; and the uninterrupted availability of the full range of Eircom Internet services I normally use is extremely important to me: some of which I am being deprived of - without warning, without explanation, and without being given any idea at all of when - if at all - they are going to be restored ???  In connection with an earlier round of Eircom web site difficulties last October, I have already pointed out to a number of people at Eircom that capricious behaviour of the type in question can (in my experience) be deemed unlawful in certain circumstances.

As you probably know already, it is of course possible for me (or anybody else) to find any number (almost) of organisations who host web sites (other than Eircom). However, I would not wish to spend time (and money) changing to some other organisation: if, by some chance, the unwanted interference with my Eircom web site of recent days is being carried out legally (and by that I mean with full Government knowledge and lawful approval).

I wish to repeat (for the purpose of stressing) that I am self-employed; and that the sooner you can provide me with clarification regarding the point raised in the last sentence of the paragraph immediately above, the better it will be for me.

I look forward to receiving a written response from you as soon as possible please.

In order to cover for the possibility of e-mail delivery problems, I intend to send a full copy of this e-mail to you later today through the registered post (which includes a copy of my e-mail below of yesterday to Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy).

Yours sincerely,

Mr. William Finnerty.

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Email:  wfinnerty@eircom.net
Web site:  http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/
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----- Original Message -----
From: William Finnerty
To: Junior Minister Eamon O' Cuiv ; Michael D Higgins ; michael.kitt@oireachtas.ie ; Junior Minister Bobby Molloy ; paul.connaughton@oireachtas.ie ; ulick.burke@oireachtas.ie ; padraic.mccormack@oireachtas.ie ; Junior Minister Noel Tracey ; Cabinet Minister Frank Fahey
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 10:15 AM
Subject: Fw: ESB Athenry/Portumna Electricity Supply Project

----- Original Message -----
From: William Finnerty
To: Labour Party ; Fine Gael ; Sinn Fein ; Green Party ; Democratic Left
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 9:46 AM
Subject: Fw: ESB Athenry/Portumna Electricity Supply Project

----- Original Message -----
From: William Finnerty
To: TV3 ; Tuam Herald ; TG4 (Newsdesk) ; Sunday Business Post ; RTE (Irish National TV Station) ; Irish Times ; Irish Independent Newspaper Group (Unison) ; Irish Examiner Newspaper ; Irish Emigrant Newspaper ; Ireland On Sunday ; Galway Advertiser Editor (Mr Declan Varley) ; Connacht Tribune Editor (Mr John Cunningham) ; Galway Bay FM (local Radio Station)
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 9:45 AM
Subject: Fw: ESB Athenry/Portumna Electricity Supply Project

From: William Finnerty
To: Minister Charlie McCreevy
Cc: Prime Minister Bertie Ahern ; Deputy Prime Minister Mary Harney ; Minister Noel Dempsey ; Minister Michael Smith ; Minister Mary O'Rourke ; Minister Joe Walsh ; Minister James McDaid ; Minister Frank Fahey ; Minister Dermot Ahern ; Minister Brian Cowen ; Justice Minister John O'Donoghue ; Heritage Minister Sile de Valera ; Health Minister Micheal Martin ; Minister Michael Woods
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 9:41 AM
Subject: ESB Athenry/Portumna Electricity Supply Project

Your Ref: 01/0459/MF

Dear Minister McCreevy,

I feel very grateful to you for the acknowledgement of receipt (dated June 22nd 2001) sent to me by Ms Hannah O' Riordan, and for the knowledge that the contents of my letter regarding the ESB Athenry/Portumna Electricity Supply Project have been noted in your Department.

It is very nice to know that a person in your kind of position is taking account of what ordinary voters such as myself have to say; and I believe there are a great many others who will feel the same.

With regard to all of the four major civil engineering projects being talked about at present for the East County Galway area, my hope now is that you and your Government colleagues will ensure that no monies are released (for the implementation of these projects) to organisations such as the Electricity Supply Board, the National Roads Authority, the Gas Board, and the Galway County Council (for the possible "Superdump for Connacht" project): until such time as you have satisfied yourselves that the laws relating to heritage protection will all be fully implemented and upheld by those responsible for carrying out whatever work is involved. 

With reference to the paragraph above, the two particular laws mostly on my mind are the ones listed below:

THE NATIONAL MONUMENTS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 1994 

THE HERITAGE ACT 1995

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to point out that I have received no feedback at all so far from the Garda Síochána regarding any of the heritage matters referred in my e-mail reminder to them of May 28th 2001 (which is reproduced at the www page address immediately below):
http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/gd-si-2.htm

Yours sincerely,

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Email:  wfinnerty@eircom.net
Web site:  http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/
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Printed copies of the above text were sent on
Saturday June 30th 2001 through the registered post to:
1) Police Commissioner Pat Byrne (Chief Officer, Garda Síochána);
2) President Mary McAleese; and
3) The Attorney General (Mr Michael McDowell).

Please click here to view Post Office receipts.

An acknowledgement of receipt dated Tuesday July 3rd 2001 has been received from Superintendent John F. Forde (Private secretary to Commissioner); and it contains the following Garda reference number:
P.S. 219/01
This is much appreciated.

Web site design: William (Billy) Finnerty.
Internet www address:  http://homepage.eircom.net/~williamfinnerty/   
  Email:  wfinnerty@eircom.net

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