CONTRACEPTION has been blamed for falling population in the west of the country.
Ian Lumley, national heritage officer with An Taisce, has said the population decrease in parts of south Mayo had nothing to do with his organisation's objections to one-off houses being built on the rural landscape.
Instead, he maintained, the population drop-off could be traced back to the increased availability of contraception.
Mr Lumley was responding to criticism of An Taisce by independent councillor Harry Walsh, of Ballinrobe in Mayo.
Mr Walsh questioned the reasoning behind An Taisce's objection to one-off housing in an area where the population was falling.
Funding
He pointed out that An Taisce received funding from Mayo County Council under the 'green flag' for a primary schools' environmental scheme and the 'blue-flag' beaches scheme.
"There's a real irony in a green flag being raised in a local school recently, where 40 years ago there were four schools serving the same region but now all but this one is closed," he told a Mayo council meeting last month.
"Yet An Taisce objects to one-off houses being built in the same area of population decline. There will be no Green Flags if there are no students.
"An Taisce receives a substantial proportion of its annual funding from the administration of both of these environmental schemes from local authorities."
But Mr Lumley told Mid West Radio News "the reason why schools in south Mayo are closing is due to fewer pupils attending, due to the use of contraception over the past 40 years."
"It's very simple," he said. "Schools are not closing due to objections by anyone to one-off housing, but rather it is due to parents having families of sizes significantly reduced from 40 years ago.
"To suggest anything else is nonsense," he added.
Jason O'Brien
© Irish Independent
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