John Gormley

Green Party Chairman and Dublin South East TD John Gormley says that reclassification of the proposed Ringsend incinerator as an ‘energy plant’ would be a further setback to efforts to minimise the generation of waste. The reclassification could be possible under a European draft waste management directive due for adoption next year. (more…)

Dublin City Council has posted some drawings and photomontages of the proposed incinerator on the project web site: see here for more.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the incinerator will be 200m in length - as long as Croke Park. It will also be 55m in height - almost as tall as Liberty Hall. This is the height of the building, not the chimney stacks, which will be 100m in height. For comparison, the Spire is 120m high.

The Green Party has reacted strongly to news today that Dublin City Council is to seek approval from An Bord Pleanála and the Environmental Protection Agency to build a waste incinerator at Poolbeg. (more…)

 Mr. Gormley: I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate.  At a public meeting in Ringsend a number of weeks ago, I gave an undertaking on behalf of the Green Party that we would use our Private Members’ time to table a motion calling on the Government to reassess its decision to grant approval for a public private partnership for an incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula.  Our motion goes further than that.  It is a comprehensive motion which details the problems and difficulties with the Government’s approach to waste management and offers a number of solutions.  I convey my thanks and appreciation to residents groups in my constituency who have worked so hard on this issue and I express the hope that we will continue to work together on this campaign and bring it to a successful conclusion.  I also thank the Opposition parties that have signalled their intention to support the Green Party Private Members’ motion. (more…)

The latest offer of reduced heating bills by Dublin City Council to residents of the Ringsend area, if the incinerator is built, should be categorically rejected, according to local Green Party TD, John Gormley. (more…)

This morning I attended the Star of the Sea Boys National School, Sandymount, Science and Engineering Display. The boys had put a lot of work into the project. All credit to them, Una Condon, the principal, and the teachers. Afterwards I chatted to the teachers in the tea-room about the state of the electoral register.

On Saturday last (6th May) I met Felipe Arreaga Sanchez and Patricia Cervantes at a meeting organised by Amnesty International at the Dublin Food Co-op. I promised to raise their issues in the Dáil.

Yesterday (7th May) I met Kevin Humphreys in the morning in Ringsend Park to discuss Dublin City Council proposals for the redevelopment of the park. I took the afternoon off; went to Dalkey for a walk; took the kids for a swim in Marion pool at around 5.

Back to today. I issued 2 releases one in relation to the new ‘green’ ministerial cars, the other on Michael McDowell’s anti-inicineration leaflet. I spoke to Ruairi Quinn about the latter at lunch time. We both agree that Michael Mc has a brass neck. Do some people actually fall for this guff? The government - he’s a member of it - gave the go-ahead for a public-private partnership for a mass burn incinerator on the Poolbeg peninsula before Christmas. He now says he’s opposed to it, as he did at election time. His leaflet is full of typos and misinformation. I will respond. This sort of cute hoor politics gets my goat.

I spent this afternoon dealing with housing cases.

In relation to the new green ministerial transport, Dick Roche and Noel Dempsey are now in the same league as David Cameron - having their cake and greening it. Cameron is poser. He cycles to work but has his minions transport his clothes and papers to Westminister in a car. Were are the CO₂ savings there?

Green Party Chairman, John Gormley TD has described an anti-incinerator leaflet distributed by Justice Minister Michael McDowell, in Dublin South East as “disingenuous nonsense”.

Speaking after reviewing the leaflet Deputy Gormley said: “Today I discussed the leaflet with my constituency colleague, Ruairi Quinn TD. We are both agreed that Michael McDowell cannot be allowed to get away with this propaganda. Unlike Michael McDowell, we both live in the area affected and we’ll have to suffer the consequences of hundreds of extra trucks passing by our front doors. (more…)

Speaking at an anti-incineration march in Ringsend, Co. Dublin today, Green Party Chairman John Gormley TD said, “At the last election, Michael McDowell said he would stop the Ringsend incinerator if elected to government. Since his elevation to the Justice portfolio he has done nothing to fulfil this promise. (more…)

227. Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the discussions he has had with the management of Dublin City Council concerning the Strategic Infrastructure Bill, 2006 and the possibility that the Ringsend incinerator project might be delayed to take advantage of the proposed new planning process; the powers he has to prevent the city council management from delaying the project in this way; the assurances he may have received from the city manager in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9776/06]
 
   Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Mr. Roche): As I have previously stated, my Department’s role in the approval process for this proposed waste to energy plant is limited to validating compliance with public policy on procurement by way of public-private partnership, 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 is satisfied that the project is designed to provide value for money within the parameters of the above guidelines and certified its compliance accordingly in September 2005.
  It is now a matter for Dublin City Council to finalise contractual arrangements with the private partner and advance the project through the statutory physical planning and environmental licensing process.  My Department is precluded from involvement in these processes and has neither sought nor received assurances from Dublin City Council in their regard.
  The regulatory processes to be applied to the project will be those in force at the time the approvals are sought.  I expect that approval will have been sought for the facility before the Bill becomes law.