Dublin City Councillors have again voted to ban the development of an incinerator at Poolbeg in Dublin, in defiance of the national waste management plan.
The councillors voted by a majority of 33 to 3 that only utilities consistent with "non-thermal treatment" of waste could be sited at the Poolbeg Peninsula, under the city development plan.
The councillors had voted to include the same provision in the development plan last September. However, the motion had been ruled out of order by the city management because it ran contrary to the waste management plan.
Under that plan the authority to make decisions relating to waste management is an executive function, lying with the city manager and not with the councillors.
Last night, however, the management chose to allow the motion, proposed by Sinn Féin's Cllr Daithí Doolan, to be included in the development plan.
The assistant city manager responsible for planning, Mr Seán Carey, said the development plan would reflect the councillors' wishes, however, the forward to the plan would state that it must be read in conjunction with the waste management plan.
He added that the councillors' decision would mean that there were now a "variety of conflicting statements" in relation to the incinerator, which could lead to public confusion.
The city management is adamant that it will go ahead with the development of an incinerator at Poolbeg. The council is currently choosing a contractor and hopes to have made its selection by Easter. The council must then submit an Environmental Impact Statement to An Board Pleanála and apply to the EPA for a licence for the incinerator.
