THE decision by An Bord Pleanála to back Cork County Council in insisting on the spirit, and the law, of the concept of social housing is to be welcomed as a major breakthrough.

ONE of the country’s largest development firms has been given the equivalent of a €1.7 million ‘cash back’ windfall thanks to An Bord Pleanála.

PLANNING corruption has created hundreds of thousands of victims, Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said yesterday, pointing an accusing finger at the Taoiseach for failing to sanction Fianna Fáil members involved.

ENVIRONMENT Minister Dick Roche last night defended the decision by the Environment Protection Agency to grant licences to two incinerators in Cork and Meath.

THE decision by An Bord Pleanála to give the go-ahead for Indaver’s toxic waste incinerator on the shores of Cork harbour must spell the end of the Bord as a credible planning body.

I WAS flabbergasted at Environment Minister Dick Roche’s assertion that Indaver’s incinerators are passing through “one of the most open and rigorous physical planning and environmental licensing regimes in the world” (January 5).

THE waste management crisis in Cork took another turn for the worse yesterday with the announcement that serious objections are to be made to An Bord Pleanála over a 56 million landfill county council plan.

MORE than 1,800 people have signed a petition supporting a €10 million project which has been objected to by film director Neil Jordan.

IT is almost certain that the country’s first commercial toxic waste incinerator in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork will be granted a waste disposal licence by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it emerged yesterday.

FOLLOWING a crackdown on quarry firms operating outside the terms of their planning permission, Kerry County Council is to be paid €50,000 a year by one quarry company, it has emerged.

AN Bord Pleanála’s support for a commercial toxic waste incinerator in Cork Harbour resulted from “government policy” and “European pressure” to build one, according to Minister of the Environment, Martin Cullen.

A WASTE crisis is looming in Co Westmeath unless an extra half million tonnes of rubbish can be dumped at a landfill outside Athlone.

IRELAND has the capacity to become self-sufficient in natural gas and to become a net gas exporter Energy Minister Dermot Ahern said yesterday.

PLANS for a gas-powered electricity station that would generate enough power to light 300,000 homes have been turned down by Cork County Council.

AN archaeological find on the site of a €372 million motorway in Limerick could herald massive delays or force the redesign of the route if further ancient treasures are discovered.

WHILE enjoying a relaxed Saturday morning's breakfast I almost choked on my rashers on noticing your piece (Irish Examiner, March 6) about the waste management company Indaver's plans to 'counter misinformation' with a new publicity campaign regarding their proposed hazardous and toxic waste incineration facility for Cork.

I AM writing in response to the column by Pat Brosnan titled “Democracy incinerated in pursuit of something called common good” in which he expresses his opinion that democracy was poorly served when An Bord Pleanála gave permission to Indaver Ireland to construct a chemical incinerator at Ringaskiddy in spite of community objections.

A €1 BILLION dual-carriageway linking the outskirts of Dublin to the south east is expected to get the green light next week, despite more than 100 objections to the route.

The New Year sees the march to the right of the FF/PD Junta, to the tune of big business and vested affluent interest groups.

KILLARNEY Town Council has decided to rezone a controversial five-acre site, owned by the multi-millionaire McShain family, to allow for a luxury housing development.