Fine Gael TD for Dublin North Alan Farrell has welcomed the recent decision by Fingal County Council not to proceed with the proposed landfill site in Nevitt, in Lusk, Co. Dublin, however is disappointed at the cost that has been incurred throughout the process.
“I welcome this decision on behalf of the residents in this part of Lusk who were devastated at the consequences of having a 210 hectare landfill site on their doorstep. However, at a price of €32.7 million to the taxpayer, it is worth querying why a revaluation did not take place at an earlier stage.
“Fingal County Council have spent €32.7 million on this project over the past 14 years. Financially, this should have been re-examined at the beginning of the economic crisis when we could have avoided such a large cost to the taxpayer, and the stress and worry of families in the local area.
“All major projects such as this landfill site, and the proposed sewage plant in Dublin North should have been revaluated 4 years ago by the Department when it was clear that the country was hit with a crippling financial crisis.
“The financial crisis began in 2008. It was then that there should have been a proper revaluation of all major infrastructure developments that were still at early stages. In Dublin North alone, this is the second instance of taxpayer’s money being thrown away on projects that have no hope of being realised in the near future. €30 million was spent buying land for Thornton Hall and €32.7 million misspent on the Lusk proposal. Why is it only now, when we have a government that is finally fully accountable that the authorities have woken up to the reality of the financial crisis?
“I have been engaging with the Minister for the Environment in relation to the proposed sewage plant in Dublin North, and I am calling on both the Department, and on Fingal County Council to ensure that taxpayers money is not being wasted on another project that we can ill afford.”