14th November 2003

McDowell says he will vote against inclusion of incineration in Government’s new Infrastructure bill

Statement by John Gormley TD, Green Party Chairman

I very much welcome Minister Michael McDowell’s long and eloquent speech to the Sandymount and Merrion Resident’s Association last night (Thursday 13th November) in opposition to the proposed incinerator for the Poolbeg peninsula.  Other elected representatives and I listened in amazement as Mr. McDowell told the public meeting that:

a)      The proposed incinerator was a “ready up” driven by Dublin City Council and the Custom House under Martin Cullen;

b)      That it constituted mass incineration and was contrary to the Government’s own policy;

c)       That he would vote against the inclusion of incineration in the proposed new National Infrastructure Bill;

d)      However, that he would not resign as Martin Cullen would be happy to see the back of him anyway;

e)      and that the elected representatives in the area needed to work together to get the above information out into the media.

On this final point my constituency colleagues and I are more than happy to oblige. It is my intention to organise a joint press conference for the four TDs in the Dublin South East constituency next week.

At the end of the meeting I indicated to Mr. McDowell that I would work with him on the issue as he had requested, but that if he failed to honour his pledge to vote against the inclusion of incineration in the new National Infrastructure Board that I would come down on him like a ton of bricks. The next few weeks will be a test of Mr. McDowell’s claim that he was not posturing or doing a ‘Michael Smith’ on the issue.

INFORMATION

JOHN GORMLEY TD - 618 3019 / 087 275 6135

STEPHEN RAWSON PRESS OFFICER - 618 4088 / 087 235 7551