Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

The report on the health impact of incineration, some of which was written by a fine person and prominent consultant, Dr. Anthony Staines, whose expertise Fine Gael and the Green Party have used, is not clear on the issue. It is certain that living in proximity to landfill or incinerators leads to a higher incidence of neural tube defects and heart defects in children. Even in the weak position he occupies will the Minister not agree to a new health investigation and analysis of these proposals? It should be undertaken.

Let us examine the facts of regional waste management plans as they relate to either Cork or Louth. The reality is that these plans are formed in the absence of councillors. Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan had a regional waste management plan. Never did the councils meet to discuss it but at council meetings officials or politicians agreed that certain areas would be given landfill instead of incineration. Out of the counties of Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan the incinerator was located two miles from my town. I do not accept the plan and the process by which this decision was taken. Other Deputies do not accept this either because it was not done openly and fairly.

I went to Germany with consultants to visit a company called Thermoselect, which was proposed as the most modern company with the best process at that time. We arrived at the company, looked at the plant, then sat down to see who would meet us and explain the process to us. The door opened and a Fianna Fáil town councillor from Dundalk walked in. He tried to tell me that the process was fair and objective. He was in charge of the process of selection and I reject it totally. I did not win the council debate but on the day of the debate I rang the mayor of the city in Germany where Thermoselect operated. I told him I did not trust the process and asked him about the company. He replied that the plant had closed for breaching regulations. That is the process that is under way as the Minister sits in his office. It is happening around the country and I have no trust in it and do not accept it as objective.

Indaver is a company with complete access to Ministers. It had access to former environment Ministers Cullen and Dempsey while those of us who opposed incineration had no such access. I do not impugn Deputy Dempsey but when he was Minister he travelled to Belgium to examine waste management facilities. Can Members guess who supplied the courtesy transport? It was Indaver. Innocent as it may have been, this made it unacceptable to me.

For many Green Party supporters and environmentalists throughout the country the process needs to be changed. The Minister has failed to do so and has not done his job. He has not defended his people and stood his ground against Fianna Fáil. He did not stand up for the fine Green Party supporters in County Louth, who gave more than 4,000 votes to the party because of their opposition to the incinerator and other issues. The Minister has failed the test. Tonight we will vote twice on this issue and then we will walk through the lobby. As the Minister walks up the steps of the Chamber he will be letting down the people he brought to the top of the hill. They opposed this on genuine health and environmental reasons but the Minister has wasted this all. I am deeply saddened by that. Personally I have great respect for the Minister. We marched and protested together in this country and outside Sellafield. We stood along the same line before the Green Party went into government but now we are on opposite sides. I stood by my principles and I hope the Minister will do the same. As Minister, he should assert the primacy of Green Party policy, not bend the knee to Fianna Fáil. He must stand up and vote for his principles. He cannot betray his electorate. I could not sit in the Minister's position.

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