Green Party Senator Mark Dearey has welcomed new regulations to control recreational activities in sensitive nature areas like along the River Boyle, in the Baltray Boyne estuary area and on Bettystown and Laytown sand dunes.
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From the GP spokesperson on Justice, Equality and Law Reform - Green Party raises concern for Equality Authority
The Green Party has said it is seriously concerned by news that Chief Executive of the Equality Authority, Niall Crowley, has felt obliged to resign from his post.
Green Party Justice, Equality and Law Reform spokesperson Ciaran Cuffe TD said today: "It all the more worrying when we consider that Mr Crowley was prepared to live with a one-third cut in his budget - yet the Department of Justice apparently insisted that the Authority had to take a cut of 43%."
Deputy Cuffe said he had raised the issue with the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern and stressed that his concern was that the Equality Authority remain a viable entity.
"All of this is compounded by the Department's insistence that, despite cutbacks, the Equality Authority cannot postpone moving offices from Dublin to Roscrea. Mr Crowley has warned that this move will risk losing experienced and skilled staff."
Deputy Cuffe said the Green Party in Government had been working behind the scenes to ensure the Equality Authority could continue its work and was not completely absorbed into the Department of Justice. "These are unprecedented and extremely difficult times in Ireland and everyone has to participate in meeting the huge economic challenges ahead. But equality cannot be seen as a luxury with which we dispense when funds are low."
Deputy Cuffe said he had written to the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern today expressing his dismay at this turn of events. "I will also be discussing this with my party colleagues and urging them to continue efforts to have this situation remedied. This is an issue of serious concern and must be urgently addressed," he concluded.