Greens accused of U-turn on incinerator

Opposition TDs chided the Green Party for failing to support a Fine Gael motion opposing the Poolbeg incinerator.

Green Party TDs voted with their Government colleagues as Minister for the Environment John Gormley and his party were accused of a policy U-turn on the incinerator which is earmarked for the Minister's Dublin South East constituency.

The Government won the division by 75 votes to 67.

Labour's environment spokesman, Éamon Gilmore, challenged Mr Gormley's assertion that he was prohibited by his new office from commenting on the proposal to build the incinerator.

"Not only is he not prevented from commenting on the proposal, but he is obliged to clarify for the planning authorities what is the current Government's position on incineration."

Mr Gilmore said the Minister's legal argument was a "figleaf and a distraction".

It was a continuation of "his perverse attempt to portray himself as someone who has been rendered powerless by law as a result of his accession to power".

Ciarán Cuffe (Green Party, Dún Laoghaire) said he hoped that the Opposition would do more than simply oppose Government policy for the sake of it.

"Much of the Opposition's lamentably repetitive and uninspired rhetoric has been based on a false premise, which is that each and every member of this Government is of a similar view on every single issue," he added.

Mary O'Rourke (FF, Longford-Westmeath) said she understood why Fine Gael had to have its "skelp" at the Government, particularly at the Greens.

The Greens were not "sitting ducks", said Mrs O'Rourke, adding that she had been impressed by the way the Green Party TDs had kept their mouths shut since going into Government.

It would have been easy for them to run around giving interviews, she said.