John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

I recently launched a public consultation on the application of levies to both landfill and incineration facilities. The approach I am considering will be designed to ensure that material which could otherwise be recycled is not drawn to facilities in lower tiers of the waste hierarchy. The facility in question is being advanced by Dublin City Council, acting on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities in the context of their statutory regional waste management plan, by way of a public private partnership. The State is not a party to this PPP agreement and has undertaken no financial or other liability in respect of the project.

As I have previously indicated, it is my understanding that the quantities of residual waste currently being collected by the Dublin local authorities may not be sufficient to meet the volumetric contractual commitment which forms part of the public private partnership agreement. Any inability on the part of the authorities to meet this commitment could give rise to public financial implications which would of course be a matter for those authorities to address.

I have appointed an authorised person, under section 224 of the Local Government Act 2001, to conduct a review of the parameters of the project. This will address the nature and extent of financial and related risks and consequences which may arise for Dublin City Council in connection with its participation in the project agreement, in a changing policy, legal and economic environment.

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