Madam, - Michael McDowell's emissary, Wendy Hederman, accuses me of making a political and electoral issue of the Government's proposal for an incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula (Nov 7th). She seems to have conveniently forgotten that the person who made this a central electoral issue in 2002 was none other than Michael McDowell himself.
The PDs told the electorate then that they would "ensure no mass burn incineration". Well, the Government has just given the go-ahead for a public-private partnership for possibly the biggest mass burn incinerator in Europe in Ringsend.
Does Wendy Hederman seriously expect me to give Michael McDowell a pat on the back for moving the planning process forward, as she puts it? Am I, as an opposition deputy, and one who has been on the receiving end of many a McDowell tongue lashing, supposed to remain silent as he breaks yet another election promise? Not likely, I can assure you. I will continue to hold this discredited FF/PD administration to account.
Not only did the PDs fail to deliver alternatives to mass burn incineration, as promised, they also missed the opportunity to insist that any waste facility built should have proper road access. If that had been done, the Ringsend site would have been ruled out immediately because of its inappropriate location.
As it stands, An Bord Pleanála will have to take account of the fact that the building of mass burn incinerators is now "official Government policy". This was the reason given by the board in overruling the recommendation of its own inspector at the Ringaskiddy oral hearing in Cork, in which he listed 14 planning reasons why that incinerator should not go ahead.
No amount of spin from the PDs can disguise the fact that they have let down the electorate very badly on this and other issues.
They are now indistinguishable from Fianna Fáil, the party they were suppose to keep an eye on. It's a pity that Michael McDowell has to hide behind one of his councillors on this issue. Only recently he refused to engage in direct debate with me on The Right Hook - unusual behaviour for a man who is not normally publicity-shy and can more than dish it out when it suits him. - Yours, etc,
JOHN GORMLEY TD, Green Party Chairman, Ringsend, Dublin 4.