Galway city voted for it, but Galway may not yet build an incinerator as part of the Connacht waste-management strategy. The city manager, Mr John Tierney, set a significant precedent at the stormy meeting in City Hall - and allowed weary councillors to score a few points for local democracy - when he accepted they had the right to make "technical variations" to the plan at a later stage.
Already, several councillors were promising to follow this through yesterday. Labour was critical of "misinformation" from the Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, to the effect they could only accept or reject the plan without alteration. Six months ago councillors had sought to do this when they voted for the plan, with the exception of thermal treatment.
The waste strategy has been described by its authors, MC O'Sullivan, as "the most ambitious recycling project in the history of the State".
The aim is to cut dependence on landfill in the five Connacht counties - Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim - from 92 per cent to 19 per cent within seven years. This is to be achieved by recycling 48 per cent of non-hazardous household, commercial and industrial waste and by thermally treating - or incinerating - 33 per cent. Four potential sites for an incinerator have already been identified in the city.
The consultants say only a residue will end up in one of two landfills in the region - which they have identified as in Co Galway and in north Connacht. Farmers in east Galway are resisting attempts to locate a site for another landfill there, as Poolboy in Ballinasloe nears the end of its life, set for 2002.
Galway for a Safe Environment has promised to keep up its opposition to an incinerator right through the planning stages, which will include evaluation by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Two years ago a High Court judge was scathing in his criticism of the corporation's attitude to waste management.
Delivering a judgment in an action brought by three residents of Carrowbrowne, Co Galway, over the local authority's use of a landfill there, Mr Justice Kelly said the authority had "deliberately, consciously and unlawfully" flouted conditions laid down by An Bord Pleanala to run the dump near Lough Corrib.
Last month, as the Poolboy deadline approached, the Minister for the Environment had warned of taking "direct action" - through amending the Waste Management Act - and said he could not contemplate seeing waste pile up on Galway's streets. However, he failed to make his promised decision on the problem before February 1st. Last week, the Taoiseach told the Dail Mr Dempsey "would make an announcement at the appropriate time". His Department said yesterday the "time hadn't been appropriate".
Yesterday the Institute of Engineers of Ireland said the Galway waste crisis underlined the need for a national waste management authority. Existing local and regional structures are unable to tackle the problem, its director general, Mr Paddy Purcell, said. After the past week's events in Galway, and more battles to come, the Minister may feel it has a point.