McDowell, DCC, Disagree Over Incinerator Status

[krayZpaving]

In a bizarre series of twists today, which is sure to continue, Minister Michael McDowell and Dublin City Officials have been at loggerheads over the status of the proposed incinerator at Poolbeg.

Minister McDowell this morning gave the Evening Herald an exclusive story that the incinerator was being shelved, following the takeover of operators Elsam by Danish company DONG (yes, really!). However, this afternoon Dublin City Assistant Manager Matt Twomey insisted that the incinerator project was still on track, and that the planning and licensing applications would continue.

The waste to energy project for Dublin is still going ahead. DONG Energy wish to make changes to the commercial arrangements of the project - including how the project will be financed and we are in discussions with them about the changes they wish to make. We will issue a statement when these discussions are concluded.

Local Labour TD Ruairi Quinn TD, while welcoming any indication that the plan has been abandoned, has demanded an investigation into how, if true, Minister McDowell was given the information before City Councillors, and why, if untrue, Minister McDowell was making such misleading statements.

More:
RTÉ News

[ryano]

Beat me to it - I've erased my duplicate thread.

This is not the first time the PDs have prematurely predicted the demise of the incinerator project. On the 19th July 2005 McDowell told The Southside People that the proposed incinerator would not be built as planned, and on 10th May 2005 Wendy Hederman released a statement entitled "City Council block Poolbeg Incinerator".

[krayZpaving]

Lucinda Creighton was just on RTÉ Drivetime about this. McDowell refused to go on the air.
Ruairi Quinn is due up on The Right Hook in about 5 minutes - www.newstalk.ie

[FakeViking]

If this is true, then it's a blatant lie by the 'Conviction Politican'. Maybe he'll follow the lead of another former MoJ and spend time behind bars for lying! At least binDowell wouldn't have to slop out in Thornton, his super prison! Isn't it amazing, there are new prisons coming, but no new hospitals?

[constitutionus]

my first thoughts when i heard this was "convenient in an election year that the incinerator in his constituency gets shelved!" dismissing it as nothing more as electioneering but if the council are in the dark about this then the issue really does become something more. should be fun to see how this one pans out.

must say micky d's been on a downward spiral the last few weeks

[ryano]

Latest from RTÉ web site:

A spokesperson for Mr McDowell said the Department of Environment had confirmed that Dublin City Council was looking for a new partner for the public private partnership project because the existing partner did not want to proceed.

The spokesperson said it 'was therefore fair to say the agreement has collapsed'.

Mr McDowell's earlier press release stated that the Danish company involved in the partnership to build the incinerator had been taken over by a new parent company which had signalled that it has no further interest in the project.

[krayZpaving]

Curioser and curioser.

[lostexpectation]

I do't see any recent articles about dong and elsam merger/takeover, so when did they start losing interest?

[Coles]

Any word from the dick Roche?? He won't be happy to see such a vital component of his Waste 'Management' Strategy fail like this. Has the upsurge in recycling hit the potential profits of the incinerators? Will the dick Roche ban recycling?! So many questions!!



Greystones would be a more suitable location for an incinerator anyway...

[gaelpol]

Looks like only thing going up in smoke over Ringsend will be the Mullah's political career...