People Before Profit Condemn Malign Influence Of RPS On Waste Management Policy

PRESS RELEASE 14 JAN 2015

Brid Smith, a People Before Profit councillor, has condemned the role that RPS has been granted in the formulation of the Eastern–Midlands Draft Regional Waste Management Plan 2015-2021.

‘A draft waste plan was presented to Dublin City Councillors this morning which allows for greater centralisation in the management of waste.

‘The plan was based on research drawn up by the company RPS. This company has already had an undue influence in Irish policy making. Two of the directors of Irish Water have already come from this company.

Brid Smith, a People Before Profit councillor, has condemned the role that RPS has been granted in the formulation of the Eastern–Midlands Draft Regional Waste Management Plan 2015-2021.

‘A draft waste plan was presented to Dublin City Councillors this morning which allows for greater centralisation in the management of waste.

‘The plan was based on research drawn up by the company RPS. This company has already had an undue influence in Irish policy making. Two of the directors of Irish Water have already come from this company.

Stephen Wallace an employee of RPS was the author of the Draft Plan for both the Eastern Midlands and the Southern regions.

‘This is problematic as RPS has been involved in promoting incineration as a key element in waste management strategies.

They have long since promoted the Poolbeg Incinerator and were then retained as a public relations consultant where they gained €28 million for a contract that was supposed to only cost €8.3 million.

‘Once again been employed on a new Management Strategy yet the cost of their contractual services has not been revealed to democratically elected councillors.

‘In the new plan there is a projection that waste by domestic consumers will decline by 1 percent annually and that re-cycling will increase to 50% of waste.

But even though these figures throw into question the viability of an incinerator, no explanation is offered for this in the plan. This is relevant as Dublin City Council have concluded an agreement with Covanta to supply specified levels of waste or face fines.

In the Easter Midlands Regional Draft Plan there is another reference to ‘a long term future need for a 300,000 ton additional ‘thermal capacity’ for other areas outside Dublin. This is the start of yet another attempt to build a further incinerator.

This is entirely inappropriate as RPS have clear conflict of interest having gained so much from the planning of the Poolbeg Incinerator.

I call for the planning departments of state bodies to do their job and undertake initial draft. RPS has a record of promoting incineration and therefore are not suitable as independent experts.

Finally, People Before Profit are calling on the public to engage with the open public consultation process and indicate their objections before the deadline of 30th January.

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For further information contact Cllr Brid Smith 087 9090166 brid.smith@dublincity.ie