Friends of the Irish Environment challenge flood works

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Friends of the Irish Environment brought a High Court challenge to Galway County Council’s authorisation of emergency flood relief works near Kylemore Bridge, close to Kylemore Abbey. The proceedings also name Ireland and the Attorney General.

The group claims the works were authorised under the 1949 Local Authorities Act in breach of European environmental law and that planning permission should instead have been sought under the 2000 Planning and Development Act. It seeks orders quashing the council’s decision and declarations concerning the legislation and the State’s implementation of EU directives.

The action was briefly before Mr Justice Charles Meenan on 13 October 2022. The judge adjourned it to a date in December.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.