Ireland Countryside

Birdwatching expert an unusual choice for role

A government decision in Ireland to replace a farming representative on an EU panel with a birdwatching expert was last night described as pure cuckoo

The Environmental Pillar of Social Partnership has elected Siobhán Egan from BirdWatch Ireland to be its representative on the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). She was elected by the 27 member organisations that constitute the Pillar, and will now be the only environmental sector representative out of the total of 9 Irish representatives.

The other four pillars of Social Partnership, namely community and voluntary, farming, employers and trade unions are also represented. In her role as the Environmental Pillar representative she will feed in the views of all the member organisations of the Environmental Pillar to the work of the EESC.

The move is a direct result of a Green Party decision to grant environmental groups the same official recognition as unions and employers.

The snub to farming groups came as the Greens were accused of having an anti-rural agenda and amid tensions among the coalition parties.

Angry Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) members are lobbying Fianna Fail to reverse the removal of its representative on the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).

Former ICMSA president Frank Allen is being replaced by Birdwatch Ireland policy officer Siobhan Egan..