THE Galway-based Fianna Fail senator Ms Margaret Cox has expressed cautious optimism about finding a resolution for Connacht's waste management problems, following a meeting between the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, and opponents of thermal treatment, or incineration.
"If incineration is not commercially viable, it won't happen," Ms Cox said at the weekend. She confirmed the Taoiseach was very open to alternatives, and that his main concern was the need to reduce the percentage of waste going to landfill.
The senator's party colleagues in east Galway, Mr Micheal Kittand Mr Noel Treacy, helped to set up the meeting between members of the Galway Safe Waste Alliance (GSWA) and Mr Ahern at the Galway races in Ballybrit.
At the meeting, Galway for a Safe Environment (GSE), which is affiliated to the GSWA, explained its opposition to the current waste management plans and restated its belief that incineration was unnecessary in relation to meeting national targets for diversion from landfill. It would undermine recycling efforts and would be an unacceptable health risk, the group said.
It also informed the Taoiseach of the significant progress made in recycling under the Galway Corporation waste segregation programme, and cited the 70 per cent diversion from landfill success rate in a pilot scheme at Renmore.
Senator Cox confirmed to The Irish Times that the Taoiseach expressed surprise at this, and he agreed to study an alternative waste management plan presented to him on the day, which was drawn up by the GSWA.
Ms Aine Suttle, spokeswoman for the GSE, said after the meeting that the groups were very pleased with it. "It seems to us that the Taoiseach has an open mind on the issue of waste management, and that he is open to alternatives to incinerators and super-dumps."
Meanwhile, the group has described the announcement by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, of a Health Research Board study on the effects of incinerators as "too little, too late". A spokesman, Dr Conchur O Bradaigh, said the study was "a belated admission by the Government that there are serious health issues with incineration".
"By the time the HRB reports next year all of the important decisions on the siting of incinerators and ash super-dumps will have been made, as the Government has said that all the regional waste plans will be pushed through by the county managers by mid-September of this year."
The group has called on Mr Dempsey to announce immediately a moratorium on any further planning, siting, or construction of incinerators.