Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I was not going to speak on this debate, but now that it is such a lively discussion I am glad that I have decided to do so. I was surprised to hear Deputy Cuffe proudly saying that the Minister, Deputy Gormley, was in favour of recategorising the definition of incineration at a European level from waste disposal to waste-to-energy. He seemed anxious that incineration would not be categorised as disposal. We had a very active debate on this in the European Parliament and there was a great amount of lobbying from Green parties in every country in the European Union, including Ireland, who were trying to maintain the definition of incineration as waste disposal. If it is recategorised as waste-to-energy, it is much easier to obtain planning permission for incineration. Deputy Cuffe has been enthusiastically endorsing that decision, but it is a very negative and dangerous decision to promote incineration at a European level.

Comments have been made that this is an opportunistic attempt by Fine Gael to embarrass a Minister, but that is not the case. We are trying to establish whether Government policy has changed in favour of incineration. The debate is timely because An Bord Pleanála is deciding whether to grant planning permission for the Poolbeg site.

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