CHASE Press Release - 19/01/06
CHASE Backs Ringaskidy Residents In Their Efforts To
Seek Leave To Oppose the Granting of Waste Licence

CHASE backs the Ringaskiddy Residents Association in their bid to seek leave to oppose the granting of a waste licence to Indaver Ireland to burn 200,000 tonnes of hazardous, non hazardous and household waste at its proposed site in Cork Harbour.

The people of Ringaskiddy are courageously taking this case on behalf of all the citizens of Cork. The residents with eleven individuals have already been forced to take a High Court challenge to oppose the granting of Planning permission for the site at Ringaskiddy and are still awaiting a date for a Hearing in Dublin.

The Minister for Environment endeavoured with senior civil servants to finds ways to assist the Indaver Incineration Company to circumvent the conditions of its Planning Permission (Report by Mark Hennessey Irish Times 16 01 06). The planning conditions specifically exclude the burning of waste from outside the area. However the Minister has given direction to County Councils to allow movement of waste from region to region, which is conflict with EU Guidelines and National Waste Management Plans. This has been done in the main to allow Indaver, a private company, to maximize i’s profits. By giving preferential treatment to Indaver the Minister is creating a monopoly situation in relation to waste disposal in Ireland.

According to the report Indaver Ireland have no difficulty accessing and influencing the Minister and his senior civil servants while the efforts of the community groups to seek the same access has been refused, the Minister indicating that such a meeting was ”in conflict with his Ministerial brief.” The Minister has clearly serious questions to answer in this respect.

---- ENDS ----

For further information:

Mary Hurley, CHASE PRO, 021 4813070 086 8162448
Mary O’Leary, CHASE Chairperson, 021 4811952 086 817773