Withdrawal of support followed a meeting with the cement producers lobby, writes Liam Reid
It was officials in the Department of the Environment who three years ago first began to examine promoting the use of environmentally-friendly cement in building projects.
Ireland was, and still is, facing a big problem with carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming.
The public sector has remained the single biggest customer of the building industry, accounting for up to a quarter of all construction activity in the State in any given year.
The manufacture of standard cement is a highly energy intensive process, producing eight tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) for every 10 tonnes of cement produced. "Green" cement is made from materials that are the by-product of industrial processes, such as slag from the manufacture of steel or other metals, or ash from coal-fired power stations, and therefore do not require additional intensive energy to produce.
There is one Irish manufacturer, Ecocem, which specialises in green cement, although other large cement producers also have the capacity to supply and manufacture the material.
Documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show that since early 2004, there had been considerable lobbying on the issue.
Ecocem was seeking greater use of green cement while traditional manufacturers - Irish Cement, Quinn Cement and Lagan Cement- were arguing against it.
The documents also show tension and disagreement between the Office of Public Works and the Department of the Environment and its two Ministers, Tom Parlon and Dick Roche, at the end of last year over the scheme, after the Department of the Environment pulled out of it.
Initially, however, there was general support within the Department of the Environment for the initiative, with various detailed meetings to discuss how it might be implemented.
According to one minute of a meeting in May 2004, the department was discussing its own plans to introduce a number of pilot schemes on the use of green cement, and to introduce green procurement guidelines for local authorities.
The documents show that in February 2004, the Department of the Environment began discussions with the Office of Public Works about a "joint environment initiative" which would lead to the stipulation of green cement in OPW projects.
In October 2004, Tom Parlon wrote to Dick Roche about the proposal saying that green cement accounted for 10 per cent of the overall European market, and although rarely used in Ireland had been used successfully on major projects such as the Luas bridge in Dundrum and the Boyne Valley Motorway Bridge.
The Department of the Environment appeared favourably disposed to the initiative up to October 2005, when it held a detailed meeting with the Cement Manufacturers Association, the lobby group representing the three main producers of traditional cement.
"They sought assurances, which were readily given by us that the initiative was not pursuant to any recommendation that has emanated from this department," a letter to the OPW stated.
Then, in November, Mr Roche wrote to Mr Parlon ruling out involvement in the initiative, claiming it would favour Ecocem in particular.
The OPW and Mr Parlon took exception to this claim describing it as "an unfounded impression".
He said he intended to proceed with the initiative, which he considered was in accordance with an EU directive on "green" procurement.
The decision by the Department of the Environment to withdraw its support for a green cement initiative, is the latest case where the department, following lobbying by industry, has changed policy direction or regulations.
This includes changes to waste regulations to enable landfills and incinerators to take waste from outside their own regions, changes to plans for a chewing gum tax, and the delay in introducing strict new energy standards for new homes.