Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I wish to ask the Minister a number of questions. May I take it that Dublin City Council, as the sponsoring local authority on behalf of the four local authorities, will be required to terminate the existing contract with Elsam and that, consequently, the comprehensive planning process in train will be aborted and we will be obliged to start all over again? Do any implications for financial confidentiality arise from the fact that the Minister informed the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform of this matter? He in turn announced the collapse of the project. Does the Minister consider that he acted responsibly in this regard and would courtesy not have required him to inform all the public representatives?

Can he explain why, as recently as approximately 4 p.m. yesterday, Mr. Matt Twomey, the assistant city manager with responsibility for the management of this project, informed the media that the project was going ahead? Given the comments of the Minister and Mr. Twomey, may I take it that, notwithstanding the collapse of this particular contract, Dublin City Council, while acting at the behest of the Government, is committed to providing an incinerator on the Poolbeg site?

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