Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

On 19 April the current Minister, Deputy Gormley, issued a statement chiding the then leader of the Progressive Democrats, Mr. Michael McDowell, on his record in regard to the proposed incinerator at Ringsend. He drew attention to the fact that Mr. McDowell had said in 2002 that he would use his position in Cabinet to change Government policy on the incinerator and make sure it was stopped. He went on to state the Green Party had been very clear that, if it was in government, the incinerator project would not go ahead. He now states that, since he got into government, he has found he cannot do anything about it. He must be the first politician to find on being appointed to ministerial office that he had less power than he had when he was an Opposition Deputy.

What he said is not true, nor is what the Taoiseach has just said in respect of the powers of the Minister. Under section 143 of the Planning and Development Act, An Bord Pleanála is required to "have regard to the policies and objectives for the time being of the Government... [and] the Minister". This was the precise section of the Act on which An Bord Pleanála relied when it overturned the inspector's report on the planning appeal against the incinerator in Ringaskiddy and decided the project would go ahead because it was in line with Government policy. It is the same section on which An Bord Pleanála has repeatedly relied to give approval for roads and a variety of other infrastructural projects, notwithstanding what happens at the appeal hearing. It is in line with Government policy or that of the Minister.

Since last June the Minister has had the opportunity and power to change the policy. Under the Planning and Development Act, he could have issued guidelines, a direction or even made a policy statement that there was a change in Government policy and that the Government was no longer in favour of incineration. If that had happend, I presume An Bord Pleanála, in line with that policy, would yesterday have turned down the planning application for the incinerator in Ringsend. Of course, the Minister did not do that. Instead, the day after the horse bolted, he has announced that he is changing Government policy and will make the incinerator in Ringsend redundant.

I have two questions for the Taoiseach, the first a simple one. Will the incinerator project in Ringsend go ahead? If, as I anticipate, the Taoiseach's answer is yes, what does the Minister mean when he says he will make it redundant? The Taoiseach should not give me all the figures he gave Deputy Kenny regarding the mechanical and biological treatment, MBT, process the Minister will use. What he is talking about is what goes into the brown bin; what goes into the black bin will be dealt with in Ringsend. What does the Minister mean when he says he will make the Ringsend incinerator redundant?

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