by Alan Jacques
LIMERICK Fianna Fail TD Niall Collins is challenging An Taisce over its objection to plans by CPL Fuels Ireland Ltd to develop a facility in Foynes that will provide up to 40 new jobs.
Deputy Collins has made a written submission to An Bord Pleanala rebutting the grounds of appeal lodged by An Taisce. He has also written to An Taisce pointing out the potential effect of their objection should it succeed.
“CPL Fuels Ireland Ltd has for some time now being planning to construct a new facility at the Port of Foynes to handle coal imports. This facility has the potential to create approximately 40 new sustainable jobs in the area, separate all together from the many more construction jobs potentially involved,” Deputy Collins explained.
“This will have a major and positive economic impact to the Foynes and district area and its a project I fully support. News that An Taisce is now objecting to the project to An Bord Pleanala is very concerning,” he said.
Deputy Collins claims that An Taisce’s submission to An Bord Pleanala contains little planning arguments as to why the CPL project should not proceed. He also pointed out that the local community fully support this project and are at a loss to understand why An Taisce has done this.
Deputy Collins has now made a written submission to An Bord Pleanala in support of the CPL project asking that the planning permission as granted by Limerick City and County Council be upheld.
An Taisce made its appeal to An Bord Pleanala last month on the grounds that the granting of a 10 year permission by Limerick City and County Council to CPL Fuels is “premature and prejudicial to the actions required by Ireland to meet its 2020 Targets to reduce greenhouse emissions in the non Emission Trading Sector (ETS) under the EU Effort Sharing decision (EDS), and the much greater emission reduction required post 2020”.
A spokesman for An Taisce told the Limerick Post this week that it is in contact with Deputy Collins and is actively seeking a meeting with the TD to discuss the matter.
