Creeslough Planning Permission Sparks Ethical Concerns
A woman who lost her partner and five-year-old daughter in the Creeslough explosion has described plans to build a new petrol station near the blast site as "morally and ethically wrong."
The explosion occurred at a service station in the County Donegal village on 7 October 2022, resulting in the deaths of 10 people.
On Thursday, Donegal County Council granted planning permission for the construction of a new service station in Creeslough, close to where the explosion took place.
Áine Flanagan, whose partner Robert Garwe and daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe were among those killed, expressed that the decision should not have been made while a criminal investigation into the explosion remains ongoing.
"Shauna was five when she died in the explosion she would be nine in February and she should be making her first holy communion with her classmates in May and that's heartbreaking for me. I should be out shopping for a communion dress and I'm not."
She added,
"It's incredibly difficult but for me I have to fight for justice for them."
Flanagan further stated that families affected by the tragedy are being advised to await the conclusion of the criminal investigation before pursuing other avenues of inquiry.
"Every door we try and open it's closed why isn't it the same for the planning?"
Legal Response and Appeal Plans
Damien Tansey, solicitor representing some of the bereaved families, described the planning approval as "insensitive and untimely," and indicated that the families intend to appeal the decision.
"In the planning process there has been no acknowledgement of the tragedy that occurred or the ongoing pain of the families," he said.
Previously, planning permission for a new development at the Creeslough site was granted last year but was overturned following an appeal by the bereaved families.
To date, no official explanation has been provided regarding the cause of the explosion.
Gardaí (Irish police) forwarded a primary investigation file to the Republic's Director of Public Prosecutions in September last year.
Who Were the Creeslough Victims?
The explosion claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including four men, three women, two teenagers, and a five-year-old girl, all from Creeslough or nearby areas.
The victims were Robert Garwe and his daughter Shauna Flanagan-Garwe; Catherine O'Donnell and her 13-year-old son James Monaghan; Jessica Gallagher; Martin McGill; James O'Flaherty; Martina Martin; Hugh Kelly; and 14-year-old Leona Harper.
