Sir, - Most of the wild birds we see in our gardens and countryside are supposed to be protected under Irish law by the Wildlife Act. Yet planning authorities all over the north-east grant planning permission to individuals and developers with seemingly no stipulation as to the correct time of year to fell hedges and trees that birds are nesting in. A good example of this disregard was in the construction of the Balbriggan Bypass (N1) at a location known as Five Roads where, in the first week of April 1997 and again in the first week of May 1997, approximately two miles of dense and established roadside hedging was dug out of the ground and left in large piles in the fields. No regard was given to the fact that many species of wild birds were nesting and feeding their young at the time.
Countries outside of Ireland probably think that we Irish care for animals because we emblazon them on our coins and stamps. If only they knew. If we can't let our harmless and defenceless birds nest in peace, we should scrap the Wildlife Act and publish this in the papers so that everyone knows that really we don't give a damn about birds or any other animals for that matter that get in the way of progress. - Yours, etc., Brendan Allan,
Athlumney Village, Navan, Co Meath.