GALWAY for a SAFE ENVIRONMENT
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Wednesday, June 14th , 2000
Galway for a Safe Environment (GSE) Residents for a Responsible Waste Management Policy Wednesday, June 14th , 2000 Galway City Against Waste Plan by 100 to 1 Margin MC O'Sullivan Comments on Public Support "Farcical" Appeal For Councillors To Make Clear Decision July 10th (Corporation) and July 14th (Co. Council) Meetings Critical People in Galway City are opposed to the Connacht Draft Waste Management Plan by a margin of 100 to 1, according to a spokesman for Galway for a Safe Environment. Dr. Conchúr Ó Brádaigh has criticised comments made by a consultant from MC O'Sullivan at last Friday's meeting of Galway County Council. He described the comments made by Mr. P.J. Rudden that '85% of the people of Connacht who replied to a questionnaire sent out were in support of the Plan' as "farcical". "Mr. Rudden admitted that between 2,000 and 3,000 completed questionnaires had been returned in the whole Province of Connacht, and that the Galway returns were pro-rata to the rest of Connacht. Given a population of around 60,000 in Galway City, as compared to over 500,000 people in Connacht, this would mean that around 300 questionaires were returned, of which 77% were said to be in favour of the Plan" "This means that only approximately 230 responses in Galway City were in favour of the plan", said Dr. Ó Brádaigh, "as compared to the 22,112 people who signed the petition against the waste plan, a ratio of almost 100 to 1 of people opposed to the waste plan. Dr. Ó Brádaigh also commented on reports that some members of Galway Corporation and County Council were planning to accept parts of the Waste Plan at the special meetings scheduled for July on the issue, while deferring for some time the decision on incineration, or other forms of thermal treatment. "We are calling on our elected councillors to make a clear decision on the Connacht draft Waste Management Plan, and with the level of public opposition that has been demonstrated against the plan, this can only be rejection. If the issue is fudged, or put off for some time, this will delay the start of effective investment in recycling, as the private sector will be unwilling to invest in recycling with the shadow of an incinerator hanging over Galway", said Dr. Ó Brádaigh. It emerged this week that Galway Corporation and County Councils would be holding special meetings on July 10th and 14th respectively, to decide on the Connacht Draft Waste Plan. "These meetings will be critical for the people of Galway, and will make decisions that will influence our environment for the next 30 years. We are calling on people in Galway, especially those who signed the petition against the plan to contact their local Councillors and ask them to clearly reject this dangerous plan at the July special meetings", said Dr. Ó Brádaigh. Confirmation: Conchúr Ó Brádaigh, 091-799223 / 087-2830452 Áine Suttle, 091-581047 <!-- HTML Markup endspan --> </td> </tr> </table> <a name=bottom></a> </body> </html>