An Tasice has questioned Ministers for Arts Heather Humphreys over the decision to allow Disney Lucasfilm to film their new Star Wars film on Skellig Michael this September.
Disney Lucasfilm are due to return to the UNESCO heritage site this September to resume filming of Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens on the island, however the decision to allow this filming to go forward has been met with shock and outrage.
An Taisce Heritage Officer Ian Lumley has stated his outrage over the decision to allow filming to to continue on the island as it will have an adverse impact on the local bird life which is protected under the EU Birds and Habitats directive. He has stated that at the time of filming two species of priority birds will be present and breeding on the island in “considerable numbers”.
Mr. Lumley also said that “the risk of accidentally bringing rats to the island with all the cargoes, including extensive food and catering” would have on impact on the local birds.
An Taisce has asked Ms. Humphreys to outline her proposed method of managing the “potential adverse impacts” that the filming would cause to both the ecology and archaeology of the island.
The Office of Public Works on the island has also expressed their concern but the staff have been asked to sign confidential disclosure agreements relating to the filming.
A source close to staff members has said “the real fragility of the island and the historical remains does not seem to np be properly understood and appears to be getting sidestepped by all that is now happening, which adds up to a substantial long term threat”.