A RTE New’s Prime Time report on the project aired last Thursday (September 2) leading the council to issue a statement refuting the claim it could ‘walk away with no cost’ on September 4 2010.

The programme and related news stories by the channel and its website claim the city council could as of yesterday (September 4) renew, renegotiate or scrap plans for the Poolbeg incinerator, although RTE claims it never said ‘no costs.’

However, a council spokesman said: “This is factually incorrect. The four Dublin local authorities alone have spent substantial sums to date in land acquisition, statutory processes and client representative costs etc.

“Dublin City Council has been, and remains, in a contractual position for the provision of the facility at Poolbeg to deal with the city’s waste.”

“The Dublin Waste to Energy project contract is in line with current EU and Irish Government waste policy.”

He went on to say that further ‘major expenditure’ is committed arising from the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) on part of the original site.

He added: “These monies have or will be expended in implementing Government Policy on waste disposal.”

Luke Walsh

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