Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd, for his personal interest in this matter as a constituency colleague with a track record in the area. He has correctly pointed out that the Environmental Protection Agency has an enormous responsibility with regard to this facility, the testing of the ash and the classification as to whether it is hazardous or non-hazardous. I attended a meeting between local residents and the EPA three weeks ago and accept the assurances given to me by the agency to the effect that it was doing everything in its power to ensure what was produced at the site would be safe and that only non-hazardous waste would find its way into the Whiteriver site if this particular aspect of the project was to proceed. However, this is a novel situation in that this is the first challenge in Ireland to the disposal of bottom ash from a municipal waste incinerator. While I understand the EPA's responsibility in this regard, because this is such a novel prospect, I request the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, to keep a watching brief with the EPA on the exercise of the agency's functions. Moreover, I ask that the agency exceed and go above and beyond its statutory obligations, if confidence is to be given to the people of Philipstown and County Louth as to the safety of this practice.

I wish to make a final point on the classification of bottom ash. There are variations in scientific attitudes towards the question of whether bottom ash is hazardous or non-hazardous. I wrote to the Minister recently in this regard and repeat the precautionary principle should be deployed in the event that is concern regarding the nature of bottom ash. Fundamentally, if there is any doubt, we should leave it out. The trend elsewhere in Europe appears to be that bottom ash is used in the construction industry, particularly as road infill material and so on. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dowd and the Minister, Deputy Hogan, to examine this possibility with regard to the future operation of the site in question outside Drogheda and what is to be done with the bottom ash. In addition, I respectfully ask whether it would be possible for the Minister to meet the residents of Philipstown to assuage their legitimate fears about the facility, given that it is the first of its kind in Ireland.

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