Department approves arrangement to develop incinerator

The Department of the Environment has given the go-ahead to Dublin City Council to enter into a public/private partnership arrangement for the development of a controversial incinerator in Ringsend.

A spokesman for the Department of the Environment said Dublin City Council had written to it seeking approval, under public procurement requirements, to enter into a public/private partnership arrangement for the project and that this had been granted late last month.

Commenting on the Department of the Environment decision last night, Green Party chairman John Gormley strongly criticised Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.

He said Mr McDowell had promised prior to the last election to stop the incinerator if elected to Government.

Mr Gormley and Mr McDowell both represent the Dublin South East constituency where the proposed incinerator will be located.

Mr McDowell did not respond to Mr Gormley's criticism last night.

Mr Gormley said the Minister, through one of his representatives, had promised that the Progressive Democrats would oppose the incinerator at the planning stage.

"Surely Michael McDowell knows that in the recent hearing in Cork concerning the proposed toxic waste incinerator at Ringaskiddy, the planning inspector gave 14 reasons as to why the incinerator should not proceed. "This was overruled by the board because incineration was in line with Government policy," he said.

Mr Gormley said that during the election campaign the Progressive Democrats had said they would ensure that no "mass burn incinerator would be built in Ringsend".

He said the current proposal was for the development of such a "mass burn incinerator".

He described as "spin" comments in the Dáil by Minister for the Environment Dick Roche that what was involved was a "waste to energy plant".

Mr Roche told the Dáil, in a written parliamentary answer yesterday, that the Dublin City Council plan provided for "energy recovery, as part of an integrated approach to waste management in the region in which thermal treatment will deal with the residue after maximum prevention, recycling and recovery.

"The specification for the proposed plant is consistent with the requirements for thermal treatment of waste identified in an Agreed Programme for Government," Mr Roche said.

The Department of the Environment said it had no role in approving the principle of the development of an incinerator.

The department pointed out that this was a matter for the local authorities in the capital in accordance with their joint waste management plan.

The spokesman said the only involvement the Department of the Environment had with the project was in relation to public procurement issues.