‘Green’ cement firm at risk

IRELAND’S only ‘green’ cement maker will go out of business at a potential cost of millions of euro a year to the State if EU regulations are not changed, an Oireachtas committee was warned yesterday.

Ecocem managing director Donal O’Riain told the Oireachtas Environment Committee the company is being penalised as it is excluded from an EU scheme which effectively subsidised cement companies with higher pollution levels.

Mr O’Riain said if the company closed, a less environmentally-friendly concern would take over its production. He said the State would have to pay extra pollution penalties of around e6 million per year.