Déirdre de Búrca (Green Party)

Following on from the issue raised by Senator White I ask that the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government come into the House to address the decision by An Bord Pleanála yesterday to grant planning permission for a 600,000 tonne mass burn incinerator for Poolbeg in Dublin, despite the recommendation of its inspector for a 500,000 tonne incinerator. The decision is difficult to understand. As the Cathaoirleach is aware, this Minister is five months in office but in that five months period he had his Department carry out an analysis of the projected incinerator capacity planned for the country and it was clear from that analysis that there was a serious over-provision of capacity and that at most what this country needed was the facility to cater for 400,000 tonnes of waste.

This is a cutting edge area in which many new technologies are being produced, researched and piloted as we speak. The decision by An Bord Pleanála is in conflict with the new approach the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government is taking based on the analysis that has been carried out. I ask that the Minister would appear before the House to outline the composition of the waste review group he is establishing——