Offaly environmental campaigner going on hunger strike

OFFALY environmental campaigner Tom Roche has decided to go on hunger strike tomorrow.

Explaining why he has decided to take the action, Mr Roche said: “In order to remind Offaly County Council of their ‘timber policy’ and make my point as clear as I can, I will undertake a hunger strike commencing at 8am on Wednesday 19th August, outside Aras an Chontae, Charleville Road, Tullamore.”

The Tullamore man, who has a furniture repair workshop in Rhode, says the council has not implemented a timber purchasing policy it adopted in 2001. The policy aimed to ensure that only timber from well managed and sustainable sources is used.

At the time, Mr Roche believed Offaly County Council was setting an example for all local authorities by adopting the policy and believed it would contribute to the protection of sustainable forests at home and abroad.

On several occasions over the last 19 years Mr Roche has publicly demonstrated his disappointment at what he sees as the failure of the council to adhere to its own adopted policy.

Mr Roche, who lives in Rhode, is is the founder of environmental lobby organisation Just Forests and he will begin his hunger strike on his 71st birthday, which coincides with World Humanitarian Day, August 19.

World Humanitarian Day commemorates the lives of humanitarian workers killed or injured in the course of their work.

His most recent public demonstration took place in O'Connor Square, Tullamore on May 22 when he mounted an exhibition of hardwoods sourced from around the world to mark UN International Day for Biodiversity.

He described the event as a “vigil” and when he erected a sign promoting his message, he was asked to remove it.

Mr Roche claimed bullying tactics were employed against him on the day and he remained present until the conclusion of his vigil in the evening.

He wrote to the council seeking an apology and in reply, Tom Shanahan, director of services, said it was the local authority's duty to “regulate certain activities in the public realm” and he understood Mr Roche had not made an application under the revelant legislation for his demonstration.

Mr Shanahan also said that when Mr Roche refused to desist, no further enforcement action was taken.

“Public spaces are to be used for many and various purposes as the people of Tullamore may wish but in order to achieve this activities must be regulated so that the interests of all are balanced,” Mr Shanahan told Mr Roche.

The council director said the public realm was for the enjoyment of all citizens and visitors and the main purpose of the O'Connor Square project was to create an environment “supportive of a vibrant economic and social life”.

“The issues of ecosystem destruction, tropical deforestation and tropical timber usage are all linked to human rights abuses,” Mr Roche wrote when he replied to the director.

See this week's Tullamore Tribune and Midland Tribune (in the shops tomorrow) where Mr Roche writes in detail about his environmental campaigning.