Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

It might even be a genetically modified veggie burger. Where does the Minister stand on this matter? To where has his 25 years in political life led him? He has reached a powerful position and he can act and show his true green colours and not raise the white flag, which is what he has done in his amendment. How many incinerators has he sold out on? Is it three or four? The Minister was rightly prominent in his party's negotiations on a programme for Government. Perhaps he will tell us how many incinerators it has been agreed to put in place. That is critical to the credibility of his party and his personal credibility as a politician.

The main reason for opposition to incineration is the impact on health. What new regulations will the Minister insist are put in place, especially given that the environmental impact assessment does not include a health impact assessment? Critical to any future legislative change must be, fundamentally, an assessment of the impact on health.

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