Roche to ensure Ringsend incinerator plans remain unchanged

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche will make sure that a proposed incinerator for Ringsend would not get through fast-track planning procedures announced by the Government on Thursday, February 16th.

The infrastructure on legislation will see major waste, gas pipelines, rail, airport and other large projects go past local planning procedures. Instead they will be referred to An Bord Pleanala and will come into force by the end of 2005.
The legislation differs significantly to the original proposals for a separate infrastructure planning system which were withdrawn in mid-2004. This came after opposition from Mr McDowell who has been supporting constituents in opposing plans for an incinerator in Ringsend.

Mr Roche said he had made it clear to Dublin City Council management that he wanted the incinerator proposal to go through the existing planning arrangements. He said that if any effort was made to delay the project so that it was included in the new procedures, he would take appropriate measures.
"I think it would be very unfair to the people of Dublin, who have views one way or the other, to allow them to avail of the planning process which was not in place when their concerns were first mooted," he said.