Cork Incinerator decision shows contempt for people

cork | environment | press release Friday January 16, 2004 15:45 by Cork WP

Indaver Ireland get green light for massive toxic burner

The Workers' Party has said the decision of An Bord Pleanala to give the go-ahead for the proposed hazardous waste incinerator at Ringaskiddy showed contempt for the concerns of local people.

INCINERATOR DECISION SHOWS CONTEMPT FOR PEOPLE

The Workers’ Party has said the decision of An Bord Pleanála to give the go-ahead for the proposed hazardous waste incinerator at Ringaskiddy, in spite of the objections of the board’s Senior Planning Officer, showed contempt for the concerns of people in the Lower Harbour area and throughout Cork.

Cork Workers’ Party spokesman Ted Tynan said the decision was disgraceful and showed that the government firmly pulls the strings of Bord Pleanala and is determined to build the incinerator regardless of public concern or the views of the board’s own officials.

“The hand of Minister Martin Cullen is firmly imprinted on this decision. The government has decided to ride roughshod over the genuine health fears of people in the area and the safeguards the state itself has put in place. Despite the spotlight on Planning in the various Tribunals investigating corruption, it is obvious that the Planning Process has been seriously compromised”.

“With this decision from Bord Pleanála, coupled with the recent revelations of Minister Cullen over-ruling officials on other planning issues and the cutting off of state funding to An Taisce, people can have no faith in any government agency in the area of planning and environment. Therefore there can also be no trust that such agencies can be relied to protect the health and safety of people once this toxic facility is built”, said Ted Tynan.