Olivia Kelly
Residents groups and local representatives will stage a protest in Ringsend today ahead of a Dublin City Council meeting on the proposed Poolbeg incinerator.
The council is holding a public meeting in the Ringsend Technical Institute at noon to inform residents about the statutory process involved in the development of the incinerator.
Local anti-incinerator group Combined Residents Against Incineration (CRAI) is urging residents not to attend the meeting.
"It is our legal advice that taking part in these meetings could be seen as taking part in the pre-planning process, which could inhibit you from taking further legal action," Ms Frances Corr, the CRAI secretary, said.
CRAI has a legal team led by environmental lawyer Mr Colm Mac Eochaigh, but cannot take any legal action until the planning process for the incinerator has begun, explained Ms Corr.
"A lot of locals seem to think this incinerator is a fait accompli, but it has not even got to the planning stage, in fact there hasn't even been a company selected to build it yet."
The protest follows last week's move by Dublin City Councillors to block the proposed incinerator from the Draft Development Plan for the city, by altering the zoning of the site.
Although the councillors voted overwhelmingly against the incinerator - 32 to five - the city manager, Mr John Fitzgerald, has said that the waste management plan is a "reserved function" of the city manager, adding that the councillors' decision "will not affect the proposed development of a thermal treatment plant at Poolbeg".
Local Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Féin, Green and PD councillors have confirmed they will attend today's protest in support of the residents group.
"This is essentially a softening up exercise on behalf of the council management, to tell the people how wonderful incineration is and how it will benefit the area," former Labour lord mayor Cllr Dermot Lacey said.
This is the fifth in a series of presentations made by the council management, Mr Lacey said. "The structure of the seminars is such that they are very one-sided and there is very little encouragement for people to express an alternative view."
Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan said he will attend the protest at 11.45 a.m. this morning but will not enter the meeting out of solidarity with the residents.