Lack of political leadership in developing the agreed thermal treatment facility for the Dublin region at Poolbeg means Dublin businesses are facing landfill charges over three times the EU average, according to the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.
Dublin Chamber Chief Executive Gina Quin commented, "The Dublin Chamber fully supports the Poolbeg Waste-to-Energy Plant, as an integral part of the mix of waste management solutions that make up the current Dublin Regional Waste Plan. Incineration alone is not a solution and its ultimate success will also depend on the success of the other parts of the mix of recycling, thermal treatment and landfill."
"We are dismayed at progress to date. The Poolbeg incinerator will not be operational until 2009 - several years behind schedule. A lack of political leadership at the highest level has resulted in significant delays to the project. Almost three years after being first announced, the Critical Infrastructure Bill, which would shorten the planning stages of the plant’s development, has still to be delivered. The Government has yet to clarify if the Poolbeg facility will be included in this bill's remit."
"As a result of this slow progress, Dublin businesses are forced to rely on the ever decreasing supply of landfill. This has pushed up landfill charges to a level where landfill costs in South County Dublin are over three times the EU average. These charges are further eroding Irish business competitiveness. Thermal treatment will provide an alternative to landfill for non-recyclable waste and will reduce the costs of dealing with this waste for business."
"The most progressive EU countries for waste management incorporate high levels of thermal treatment. The Netherlands, which has one of the highest rates of re-cycling in Europe, operates 11 municipal incinerators, processing 100% of residual household waste."
"We are proposing the following three-point action plan to help deliver the long-overdue facility:
- The Cabinet needs to prioritise the development of the Poolbeg Waste-to-Energy Plant
- The Government must clarify the status of the Critical Infrastructure Bill and include the Poolbeg Thermal Treatment Plant in its remit, and:
- A comprehensive Traffic Management Plan must be a prepared in consultation with the local community.
