THE controversial Mutton Island sewage treatment plant in Galway may face a new legal challenge in the Irish courts following strong indications that the Government may be prepared to compromise on some aspects of the design but not the location in Galway Bay.
This emerged as the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Mr Higgins, was due to meet representatives of the Save Galway Bay (SGB) group on the issue last night.
Following an initial meeting between the two parties in early April, speculation intensified that the Minister for the Environment, Mr Howlin, might reverse his decision to proceed despite the European Commission's environmental concerns.
The Commission has supported a legal challenge in the European Court of Justice to the decision in a process initiated by the European Parliament's Petitions Committee.
Speaking before the meeting, an SGB spokesman, Mr John Cunningham, said the group was disappointed as it seemed during the first meeting that everything was on the table That included the site and modifications to the plant. "It seems clear from Mr Howlin's statements since that that was not the case".
Given this, it seemed that what was now on the table was "tinkering with the existing proposal". SGB did not know what modifications were involved.
Mr Cunningham claimed the Government had gone back to Europe in an attempt to patch up differences with a view to re securing EU funding for the £23 million project, possibly, he felt, on the back of the discussions opened with SGB.
The latest meeting, it is understood, was intended to be low key and to centre on clarification about technical aspects of the plant, with further meetings pending. Meanwhile, SGB has declined to comment at this time on the possibility of a new court challenge.