James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the evidence he has to assert that the taxpayer will be liable for €18 million a year from the Poolbeg incinerator in Dublin 4; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42791/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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The figure of €18 million was arrived at on the basis of a desktop exercise to assess risks that may be associated with the Dublin waste-to-energy project either proceeding or not proceeding. An evaluation was made on the basis of circumstances, or a combination of circumstances, which might result in Dublin City Council not being in a position to meet the volumetric contractual commitment which forms part of the public private partnership agreement in respect of the facility and thus being required to meet the cost of the capacity not then being availed of.

The projection was based on an assumed shortfall of 180ktpa and an assumed penalty of €100 per tonne to arrive at a potential exposure of €18m per annum assuming that the shortfall continued indefinitely and/or it proved impossible to re-negotiate the provision in the agreement or sell-on some or all of the capacity to a third party at a rate which might offset in whole or in part the liability which would have arisen.