COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 13, 2013

QUESTION NO. 8

QUESTION: Councillor J. Hannon

To ask the Manager to provide this Council with a comprehensive report on the current position with regard to the proposed Poolbeg incinerator, and including details of costs incurred to date by SDCC on this project?

REPLY:

EU and National Waste Policy have set the context of objectives and hierarchies for the development and implementation of Dublin Regional Waste Strategies and Plans since the mid nineties. The key policy objective throughout successive Government Policies has been the diversion of waste from landfill and the ultimate replacement of landfill with the higher order treatment processes. Irish Government Policy was refreshed and re-stated in 2012. In line with these policies, this facility will be a key piece of the national waste infrastructure in achieving Ireland's obligations under the Landfill Directive.

The project was first identified as necessary in the Dublin Regional Waste Management Strategy published in January 1998. In the interim period the project has been through procurement processes leading up to the signing of a Public Private Partnership Project Agreement in 2007. All of the required statutory procedures and obligations have been undertaken and completed including processes for Planning Authorisation, Energy Regulation, EPA Waste Regulation, Foreshore Licensing and Compulsory Land Acquisition. The project has also been scrutinised by an Authorised Officer appointed by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and has been examined extensively by the EU Commission and Competition Authorities. Previous Reports presented to the Members set out in detail the history, context and funding arrangements for the project as well as the funding commitment of each of the local authorities.  The need for the facility remains clear in the overall context.

The Council has a clear financial and legal liability as a regional partner under the Dublin Regional Waste Management Plan and under the Project Agreement to cover its share of the costs associated with procurement, planning, contract and assembly of the site and an obligation to Dublin City Council to recoup the amounts incurred on this Council’s behalf as they arise. As with the costs of other waste infrastructure, such as the Arthurstown landfill and Ballymount Baling Station, the Dublin Authorities have agreed that the capital costs of waste infrastructure are to be recouped to the lead authority for each facility through an apportionment of costs in line with population. To date, this apportionment has been based on the 2006 Census figures and the apportionment is as follows - 

Local Authority	Population %
Dublin City	42.64
Dun Laoghaire / Rathdown	16.34
Fingal County	20.22
South Dublin	20.80
Total	100.00

Since the last report in May 2012, an additional €2,737,159  has been paid to Dublin City Council in relation to the project. There has been no change to the projected commitment of €20.8 million.

It is anticipated that once the facility is operational, the entire outlay by the Local Authorities will be recovered and that the facility will ultimately provide an income stream for the Region. The City Council expects that the contactor will be in a position to proceed on site by mid summer.