UNWORKABLE DEMOCRACY: Poolbeg Incinerator

The go-ahead for the Poolbeg plant over the objections of councillors shows that in some areas of public life, democracy is simply unworkable in this country, writes Michael Clifford

THEY doth protest too much. On the face of it, democracy was dealt a massive blow last Monday evening. An unelected official entered the chamber of Dublin City Council, and metaphorically gave little pats on the head to the elected tribunes of the people, sent them on their way, and then got on with running the city.

A similar exercise occurred in the neighbouring council of Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown. Over in Fingal County Council, the elected members were allowed to kid themselves that their franchise actually carried weight. But really, if you held the whole exercise up to the light, it could be portrayed as an evening in which little dictators had commandeered power from the people.