Residents’ groups and local representatives staged a protest in Ringsend on Saturday 25th September outside the Ringsend Technical Institute where Dublin City Council were holding a meeting on the statutory process involved in the development of the proposed Poolbeg incinerator.

Local anti-incinerator group Combined Residents Against Incineration (CRAI) urged residents not to attend the meeting as they say that taking part in the pre-planning process could inhibit them from taking legal action in the future. CRAI has a legal team led by environmental lawyer Mr Colm MacEochaigh but cannot take legal action until the planning process has begun.

“A lot of locals seem to think that this incinerator is a fait accompli, but it has not even got to the planning stage, in fact there hasn’t even been a company selected to build it yet,’ said a representative from CRAI.

Daithi Doolan said “The sole purpose of this meeting is to promote incineration and massage this community into accepting hazardous incineration here on our doorstep.”

The protest follows last week’s move by Dublin City Councillors to block the proposed incinerator from the Draft Development Plan for the city. However, Mr John Fitzgerald, the city manager, said that the councillors’ decision “will not affect the proposed development of a thermal treatment plant at Poolbeg.”

Dermot Lacey confirmed that the power to locate an incinerator in Ringsend rests with the city manager. He said: “We will continue to fight against the proposal, and push for the government to reverse their decision.”