Seanad report: Labhrás Ó Murchú (FF) said he believed that An Taisce would come to regret the preposterous and potentially libelous language they had used in opposing a legitimate planning application. He thought it showed the darker side of that organisation.
Members from both sides of the House strongly criticised the description by a section of An Taisce of a planning application by Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole as "criminal".
Joe O'Toole (Ind) said the use of such language demonstrated "why democrats and environmentalists like ourselves are absolutely appalled at the approach that An Taisce has taken time and again to planning applications. It also shows why ordinary people feel persecuted by An Taisce when they make a reasonable application to look after themselves and their families.
"Describing a fair, honest and open application for a planning permission, like Fintan O'Toole did, as 'criminal' seems to me to reflect on an irresponsible group who need to be taken in hand and taken to task".
Martin Mansergh (FF) said that Mr O'Toole had raised a matter concerning the head columnist in The Irish Times "who helps to set our ethical compass every week. It's a real dilemma on this side of the House as to which side we do not support".
Marc MacSharry (FF) said that in the past he had praised An Taisce for the great things they had done in our society, but he thought it should be de-prescribed from the planning process because of its wildly disproportionate actions generally in terms of timing its objections to the last minute of the last applicable day to be divisive and destructive.
Brendan Daly (FF) said An Taisce had made life very difficult for an awful lot of people, especially in the north Clare area.
John Paul Phelan (FG) said an attitude seemed to prevail among certain members of this organisation, and other people in Dublin, that rural people lived in a kind of zoo and that their quaint mannerisms and activities should be preserved.
House leader Mary O'Rourke said she thought that in this instance An Taisce had shot itself in both feet. While it had done some good work, it was systematically going out to undermine rural communities.
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Mrs O'Rourke thanked Brian Hayes (FG) for his "generous offer" that the e-voting issue be proceeded with on a cross-party basis.
"Personally, I think that's a very good idea. I don't know what our party would think of it on a national basis." She hoped that Mr Hayes had his party's backing to say what he had said. She did not want to be elected - or not elected - on a computer.
"I want to be elected by people writing their vote and putting it into a box. So I am glad it's not going to be used in the next election."
Mr Hayes, Fine Gael leader in the House, said the only way the Government could change a fundamental part of our electoral system was to do it on a cross-party basis. "If the Government want to change this system I'd ask them to put it to a referendum."
David Norris (Ind) said there had never been any public demand for a change in the voting system. It had been indicated that the machines which had been bought could be sold to New York. "So let's urge the Government to sell these blasted things to America and get a bit of money back on them."