SOUTHSIDE councillors have expressed concern about Dun
Laoghaire Rathdown County Council’s commitment to the controversial Poolbeg
incinerator.
The council recently approved a capital expenditure
programme of
?¬165 million for the four-year period from 2012 to 2015.
Before the meeting the council issued a report to
councillors from the county manager in which he outlined the local authority’s
continued commitment to the incinerator.
The manager pointed out that, to date, the council had
contributed some
?¬10 million towards the pre-construction costs of the
facility. He added that the council’s share of total pre-construction costs is
likely to be in the region of
?¬16 million.
The manager indicated that the council intends to
borrow the remaining
?¬6 million it requires to meet its share of the
construction costs of the facility. However, he insisted that the borrowing
would not form part of the council’s capital programme.
“I am proposing that the balance of the
?¬16 million
will be funded by borrowing,
? the report states.
“Once the waste to energy
facility is operational I am confident that the council will be able to
remunerate this borrowing by revenue from the sale of electricity and from the
disposal of its preferential access rights to the facility.
?
Cllr Barry Ward (FG) said that by continuing to fund
the incinerator, on which Dublin’s four local authorities have already spent
over e80 million between them, the council could be exposing itself to a
“very
great liability
?.
He noted that the council no longer collects household
waste and pointed out that the existing contract between Covanta and the local
authorities includes a
“put or pay
? clause which means the four councils in the
Dublin area would incur substantial fines if they could not supply the facility
with a certain amount of waste.
“If we no longer control that waste, how can we possibly
expect to fulfil the terms of the contract with Covanta where we must supply a
certain amount?
? he asked.
“And has provision been made here or elsewhere for a
potential financial liability that will arise in the future if we fail to
comply with the minimum waste deliveries in respect of that contract?
?
In response, the County Manager noted that Dublin City
Council had made efforts to renegotiate the terms of the contract for the
incinerator recently.
“Obviously, if I could walk away from the incinerator I
would have done it a long time ago,
? he said.
“We have a contractual
obligation.
?
Meanwhile, the council’s programme will include the
construction of the new central library and arts and cultural complex at Moran
Park at an estimated cost of
?¬36.6 million.
The council is also proceeding with the first phase of
the Samuel Beckett Civic Complex at Ballyogan. The scheme will involve the
construction of a community centre and childcare facility, a library, sports
pitches and a skate park.
However, a 25-metre swimming pool which was originally
envisioned in the proposals will not now go ahead.
Cllr Melisa Halpin (PBP) said she was concerned about
the escalating costs associated with the Moran Park scheme.
“I am worried about the cost, which seems to be
increasing all the time,
? she said.
“In
a document I have from a council meeting from 2006 the estimated cost was
?¬25
million. We are now at
?¬36.6 million. I think it was a million less last year.
Are we going to see this creep up and up and are we going to get value for
money?
?
Cllr Lettie McCarthy (Lab) said she was disappointed
that the council was not progressing with the swimming pool element of the
Samuel Beckett Civic Centre.