Letter Sent to Bremore Ireland Port DAC
Gormanston Community Association CLG
Delvin Road
Gormanston
Co Meath
Mr Joe Hiney,
Director,
Bremore Ireland Port DAC
Harbourville,
Mornington Road,
Drogheda
BY REGISTERED POST
12th April 2024
RE: Proposed Deep-Water Port Development at or near Gormanston Beach.
Dear Sir,
We write to advise that the Gormanston Community Association over the years has worked with residents on a number of issues of interest. The association primarily operated as a community support network, but also brought the community together with a mission to enhance the living environment and sustainable development of our unique rural coastal village. Along with various community initiatives, the association has operated beach clean-ups on Gormanston Beach since 2012 and the condition of the beach today is a credit to the long-term efforts and commitment of our local volunteers.
To formalise our endeavours a corporate structure was adopted, in accordance with best practice for community and volunteer groups, and in 2015 Gormanston Community Association Limited was incorporated. The company is now called Gormanston Community Association CLG.
This correspondence is sent to advise Bremore Ireland Port DAC of development here in Gormanston following the presentation made by you on behalf of Bremore Ireland Port DAC in CityNorth Hotel on 7 December 2023. There were many concerns expressed by our community at that meeting which included attendees from neighbouring communities, about the proposal of Bremore Ireland Port DAC’s proposal to the construction of a deep-water port at or near Gormanston Beach. Our campaign, ‘Save Gormanston Beach - No Port Here,’ seeks to protect and preserve the unique environment, historical significance, and essential amenity value of Gormanston Beach and its environs.
The beach at Gormanston stands out as a site of extraordinary natural beauty on Ireland’s east coast, with extensive views north along the shore to the Cooley and Mourne Mountains and the islands off Skerries to the south. The coastal area from the Delvin Estuary to Ben Head is an unspoiled shore and unique sensitive ecosystem with diverse marine and coastal wildlife, but it also is an enormously significant local amenity and source of local pride.
The proposed construction of a multi-billion Euro deep-water port, with both offshore and extensive onshore ancillary construction in the area, forms a direct threat to this unique sensitive ecosystem. The potential devastation will extend far beyond Gormanston and East Meath communities and the destruction of this particular ecosystem will only accelerate climate breakdown. The deep-water port proposed will cause irreversible damage and will not only affect current generations but also remove from future generations the opportunity to experience the unblemished beauty of this region.
Of particular concern to local residents has been the lack of transparency and meaningful consultation with the communities that would be affected. For the average resident in the area, the apparent decision-making process was conducted behind closed doors with politicians and county councillors, and reflects a complete disregard for the voices, and rights, of those who would bear the consequences of this proposed project both now and in the future. It is completely unacceptable that such a significant undertaking would proceed without prior detailed consultation and the express consent of the majority of those whose lives would be directly impacted.
This proposed project not only jeopardises the environment and natural beauty of the area but will also destroy the rich historical landscape and heritage. In addition to the numerous known protected archaeological sites, this historical landscape also contains unexcavated and undocumented neolithic sites. The destruction of important archaeological sites, both onshore and potentially underwater, demonstrates a reckless disregard for our collective past and any additional understanding to the historical narrative of this island. Future generations have a right to inherit a landscape which can in due course be excavated and researched to enrich this narrative.
In light of our initial concerns set out above, we have been left with no choice but to formally advise Bremore Ireland Port DAC and Drogheda Port Company of our opposition to the proposed construction of a deep-water port at or near Gormanston Beach. Environmental organisations, activists and concerned citizens stand alongside our community, and together with planning, legal and environmental professionals we are fully determined to prevent what we consider to be a destructive and unnecessary development. We anticipate that other communities in the surrounding area will be writing to Bremore Ireland Port DAC and Drogheda Port Company in similar terms.
In the four months which have passed since the aforementioned meeting, we note that there has been no contact made with our community from Drogheda Port Company or Bremore Ireland Port DAC. Specifically there has been no communication from Bremore Ireland Port DAC or Drogheda Port Company in relation to our request for funding in order to allow us to independently verify aspects of the proposed deep-water port project as communicated to the residents who attended the meeting. We would have thought Bremore Ireland Port DAC would have considered that this initiative would address any ethical concerns, issues surrounding transparency and demonstrated a high level of corporate responsibility.
The lack of communication is indicative of a developer led focus by Bremore Ireland Port DAC, Drogheda Port Company, Louth County Council, potentially Meath County Council and their respective partners. We further note that there has been no update on the Bremore Ireland Port DAC website, which was promised at the meeting on the 7th December 2023, to address all the questions posed at that meeting.
It was confirmed that the meeting on 7th December 2023 would be recorded, and we now hereby formally request that you provide us with all recordings taken at that meeting, together with any other relevant data, so that we have a record of the presentation itself, questions raised and the feedback provided that you received. If any copies of the recording have been made, we call upon you to advise the identity of the persons and or entities in possession of such recordings. We reserve the right to make further statutory requests for data and information should you neglect, fail or decline to provide the relevant data. Please consider this particular request be responded to in like manner or form to an Article 15 [GDPR] Data Access Request. Therefore we respectfully suggest that this correspondence be passed on to Data Protection Officer at Bremore Ireland Port DAC.
For the avoidance of doubt we also call upon you to ensure that this correspondence and our vehement opposition to the proposed construction of a deep-water port at or near Gormanston beach is communicated without delay to the Board of Directors of Bremore Ireland Port DAC, principle shareholders, beneficial owners and business partners.
We formally request that you acknowledge receipt of this correspondence by return.
Yours faithfully,
Peter Brady, Chairperson
Liz Reilly, Director
Michele Morgan, Director
Conor O’Neill, Company Secretary Gormanston Community Association CLG