Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

While we will not get into an argument about it, we have to be clear and fair.

I attended a large public meeting recently when for the first time in my life I was on a platform with a young lady who was absolutely expert in this area. I had never met her before but she was brilliant. She had the simple gift of English, yet was highly technically qualified. She dealt with every issue and there was not a whimper at the end of the meeting. If I can get her to help us in the Department or anywhere else, I will because she was superb. She dealt with all of the sensitive issues from breast cancer right across the spectrum and demolished many of the traditional emotional arguments which are not relevant when we talk about the type of facilities Ireland proposes to put in place.

I have spoken to all my colleagues in the European Union about this issue. The number of facilities in the European Union is approximately 360, many of which are starting to close down due to public demand because they are out of date. It should be borne in mind, however, that the incinerators which are closing down abroad are of the old style and that new ones are being built. The public is demanding that these facilities be state-of-the-art and there is no issue in putting them in place in housing estates. I do not propose to put them in place in housing estates here but there is a gap in the entire information flow if Europeans appear to be comfortable with such facilities, which is not the case here.