Green Party representatives have called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw the licence it recently awarded to Dublin City Council to operate a waste incinerator at Poolbeg, Dublin 4.
The EPA is currently hearing objections and concerns about its decision to grant planning permission for the controversial incinerator.
If approved, the plant would be Dublin's first municipal waste incinerator and one of the largest in Europe. It will be permitted to deal with some 600,000 tonnes of residual non-hazardous waste every year.
The Council was last year granted permission by An Bord Pleanála to build the incinerator, despite strong opposition from local groups and politicians including the former minister for justice Michael McDowell and Green Party TD John Gormley, before his appointment as Minister for Environment.
Speaking at the EPA oral hearing in Dublin today, Green Party TD for Dun Laoghaire, Ciaran Cuffe, said granting of the licence would significantly undermine the waste hierarchy as set out by the EU.
"Incineration is the least favoured option in the waste hierarchy set out by the EU. Environment Minister John Gormley has already put it on record that there simply would not be enough waste for the Poolbeg Incinerator even if it were to proceed. Not only is there not enough waste from Dublin to feed it, but there wouldn't be enough waste from the entire country for this facility, which is nothing more than a white elephant," said Mr Cuffe.
The hearing began earlier this month. The EPA said a total of 18 valid submissions were received from third parties, of which 14 were objections, including one from the applicant.
