Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 208: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, further to his comment that Ireland requires no more than two incinerators to deal with waste, which are to be located in Counties Cork and Meath, and in view of An Taoiseach's recent announcement that based on his examination of new technologies, perhaps Ireland will not need eight incinerators, there are plans to replace the proposed Poolbeg incinerator with a waste management technology other than incineration. [26690/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I have not made any statement in regard to the number or location of any future incinerators. I have, however, signalled a move away from an over-reliance on incineration towards alternative technologies such as mechanical and biological treatment. This would greatly reduce residual waste requiring thermal treatment, which may include use as refuse derived fuel as a further alternative to incineration.

Under the Waste Management Acts statutory responsibility for the making of regional waste management plans, which includes determinations in regard to the waste management infrastructure appropriate to each region, rests with the local authority (or local authorities) concerned and my Department has no function in this regard.

The Poolbeg project is at present going through the statutory planning and waste licensing processes and I as Minister am precluded, under both the Planning and Development and Waste Management Acts, from involvement in these processes in any particular case.