John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)

As I have stated on a number of occasions, the Government does not determine matters of this nature, which in this case is one for a private consortium and the local authority. When one considers residual waste arisings and the decline in biological waste, which is the most important consideration from a landfill directive perspective, an incinerator with a capacity of 600,000 tonnes is much too large. We must move towards mechanical biological treatment and ensure, when we embark on a strategy, that we have available to us sufficient waste for a facility of this type. We must avoid creating a white elephant which will cost the taxpayer a large amount of money.

In the case of the incinerator proposed for the Poolbeg Peninsula, the contract which was signed against my advice commits Dublin City Council to providing 320,000 tonnes of waste per annum. Penalty clauses will apply if this level of waste is not provided and the local authority would have to pick up the tab. By bringing to Government the waste levies and a new policy statement, as I will do shortly, we will provide greater clarity on the proposed Poolbeg incinerator.

I have read media reports, which the Deputy has probably also read, to the effect that the company in question has indicated that if I introduce levies and publish a policy document, it will not proceed with the incinerator proposal. I am committed to proceeding with a new waste policy. A large multinational company should not dictate national waste policy, which is a matter for the sovereign Government.

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