Ringsend Incinerator
453. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government further to a parliamentary question of 2 November 2005, the reason he decided to approve a public private partnership for the design, building, operating and financing of an incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula in Ringsend; if he will make available documentation from his Department relating to this decision; and the reason to date in 2005, he has refused all requests to make information on this important decision available to Dáil deputies. [39966/05]
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Roche): As I have already indicated, my Department’s role in the approval process for this proposed waste to energy plant is limited to validating compliance with PPP procurement norms, as laid down in guidelines issued by the Department of Finance. Having reviewed the detailed proposals of Dublin City Council and consulted with the National Development Finance Agency, my Department was satisfied that the project is designed to provide value for money within the parameters of the above guidelines and certified its compliance accordingly.
My Department is not the promoter of this project and will not hold all documentation on it. I am satisfied that it would be inappropriate at this stage, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, to circulate publicly the documentation provided to my Department on this project. However, I understand that Dublin City Council is preparing a summary of the contractual arrangements which will be issued for public information purposes.