Waste protest at Dublin Castle

REPRESENTATIVES from the Environmental and Community Groups opposed to the Dublin government’s plans to build incinerators and superdumps demonstrated outside “Waste Management and Renewable Energy” conference at Dublin Castle on October 10.

The conference was organized by the 26-County Department of the Environment and the Danish Embassy, with the unstated but obvious aim of promoting Denmark as a role model for the management of municipal waste.

Yet according to the Department of the Environment’s own data (“Changing our Ways”) Denmark incinerates over 60% of it’s Municipal Waste and recycles only 20% of it.

In a statement the coalition of environmental groups from throughout the 26 Counties said the Danish performance constitutes an abysmal performance in terms of conserving natural resources and protecting the environment from the toxic by-products of incineration.

“We call on the government:

• to withdraw the existing Waste Management Strategies and Plans, the vast majority of which were prepared using Danish consultants, and the vast majority of which involve incineration and superdumps;
• to prepare new plans, using consultants from countries/ regions who are achieving high recycling rates, for example the Netherlands (45%) and Novia Scotia (50%, and to involve the community in the preparation of these plans;
• to exclude any form of incineration/ thermal treatment from the new plans.
• to adopt in these new plans the EU proximity principle, requiring each county to landfill in their own county the waste materials which they are not re-using/recycling;
• to adopt in these new plans a policy that no compostable or hazardous waste goes into landfills, and that the materials going into landfills are screened and segregated so that in future it may be possible to recover the materials for recycling;
• to involve the community in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the new plans;
• to develop and implement a national strategy which will encourage reduction, re-use and recycling, inhibit waste materials going into landfills, and put pressure on manufacturers to design products which can be easily recycled or composted.”

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Longford rejects incineration

REPUBLICAN Sinn Féin Councillor Seán Lynch has welcomed the decision of Longford County Council on October 31 to reject incineration as part of the Midlands Regional Waste Plan.

At the previous council meeting on October 16 when the issue was debated Seán Lynch was the first to speak on a motion calling for the rejection of incineration (or ‘thermal treatment’ in Leinster House speak).

He said that incineration was a threat to the health of the Irish people and it would endanger Ireland’s reputation as the producers of the cleanest food in Europe.”

“In 1998 high dioxin emissions forced three incinerators in France to be closed down because they had contaminated 16 farms nearby and the cheese and milk from local dairies could no longer be sold. Farmers near incinerators in Japan had difficulty selling their produce when news of high dioxin levels in their vegetables was made public,” he said.

The Wexford IFA had rejected plans for an incinerator in the south-east and he urged Longford County Council to do likewise.

“The health risks have been pointed out by the Irish Doctors Environmental Association who listed the possible ill effects of toxic emissions as including cancer, decreased fertility, lowered IQ and altered immune responses,” he said.
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Dublin only county that has passed incineration plans

SEVEN Regional waste management plans are currently before the local authorities in the 26-Counties. Six of the seven involved varying percentages of waste incineration/thermal treatment (Cork’s plan does not , as it was drafted before the others).

The Dublin region is the only one where all local authorities have approved the plan. In all other regions, there have been major setbacks for the plans:

Midlands: Laois County. Council rejected the plan. Longford County Council have also rejected the plan. Westmeath and other have made amendments.

Connacht: Galway County Council rejected the plan (unanimously). Galway Corporation made amendments which effectively rejected the plan (unanimously). Roscommon County Council rejected both incineration and landfill in Co. Roscommon.

North-east: Louth County Council rejected the plan.

South-east: Wexford County Council rejected the strategy document. New plan being prepared for the region.

South-west: Limerick County Council and Corporation passed motions which councillors feel rejects thermal treatment (may not be effective).

Overall: All counties outside Dublin which were to host thermal treatment plants have rejected the plans i.e. Wexford, Louth, Galway, Laois and Limerick ( a bit ambiguous).

Outlook: The 26-County Minister responsible Noel Dempsey says that he will impose deadlines on the above counties for adoption of “realistic waste plans”. This is thought to mean that the plans must be along the lines of the current plans. If they don’t, he is hinting that he will impose plans.

REASONS TO REJECT THE WASTE PLANS

1. The plans do not represent best practice internationally. They are modelled after Denmark, which incinerates 60% of its rubbish and only recycles 20%, one of the lowest recycling rates in Europe.
2. We can do better by following the examples of countries that do not incinerate, yet are recycling between 50% and 60% of their waste, in particular Australia and Canada.

   The plans recommend roughly 40% incineration , 40% recycling and 20% landfill. These numbers do not add up, as every 3 tonnes of rubbish burnt produces 1 tonne of toxic ash. Forty per cent incineration will produce 13% ash, which will mean the amount going to landfill will actually be as high as 33%, which is not accounted for in any of the plans.

3. Incineration is not safe. The US Environmental Agency in June of this year upgraded the chemical substance dioxin to a definite cancer-causing agent in humans. The United Nations Environment Programme in 1999 studied dioxin emissions in nine industrialised countries. Municipal solid waste incinerators were the number one source of dioxin emissions in eight out of ten countries studied.
4. Thermal treatment is a PR term for incineration. Other forms of thermal treatment such as gassification and pyrolysis are completely unproven, despite billions of pounds being spent on these processes over the last 20 years. There is no working gassification plant of the size being proposed in Ireland anywhere in the world.
5. Incinerators and incineration is extremely expensive. A 200,000 tonne incinerator will cost between £100 and £150 million pounds, not the £38-£46 million in the Midlands and Connacht plans. The average cost internationally to incinerate a tonne of waste is over £100/tonne.
6. Incineration is not sensible or sustainable. Even if it was safe, it wouldn’t be a sensible idea to burn resources that future generations will need to live, eg, paper, plastic, cardboard, the rainforests etc.
7. Incinerators will destroy our agriculture. Dioxins from these plants enter the human body through the food we eat. Ireland has the lowest levels of dioxins in our food in the industrialised world. New Zealand has the second lowest, and is increasing its sale of agricultural produce through the Far-East, where dioxins are a public concern. The IFA in Wexford, Galway, Louth and Roscommon opposed these Plans.
8. Your health will be affected by an incinerator anywhere in Ireland. A large food company in the south-east was asked by a European buyer to certify in 1999 that none of its produce was sourced from within a 40-mile radius of an incinerator. Pollutants can travel large distances and from county to county.
9. The alternative to incineration is recycling. The countries that incinerate least in Europe, recycle most and vice-versa. Holland and Switzerland recycle 45% and only incinerate about 20%, and are better examples than Denmark.
10. Recycling is cheaper than incineration. This is admitted in all the plans, though the real difference in cost could be up to £150 million for each region.
11. Multi-national companies want to burn our waste. If incinerators are built, Public Partnership Processes will be used to build the plants. Multi-national companies (who have appalling criminal and environmental records) will tender to build the plants, and local authorities will sign minimum waste contracts for up to 25 years.
12. The alternative is not “more landfill”. A proper waste plan, based on recycling, reduction and re-use, and emphasising waste minimisation can lead to diversion from landfill of over 50%, as in other countries.
13. Recycling of 50-60%, dry residual landfill for the rest. Home and central composting facilities should remove all organics from the waste stream, meaning that the residual material to be landfill should not be offensive or smelly in any way. Residual landfills will not contain any toxic incinerator ash (because we won’t have any), and should be located at least 1.5km from people.
14. Involve the community in drafting alternative plans. The community, farmers, business, waste companies, recyclers should all be involved in drafting and implementing the waste plans and the community should be involved in siting and monitoring waste facilities.

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Gaeilge agus Gaeltacht

AG machnamh dom inné faoin ábhar atá romhainn inniu, mar atá Gaeilge agus Gaeltacht, amach ón imfhios a tháinig dán a scríobh an file mór de chuid Cheanada, d’eile ach Frost, The Road Least Travelled. Bóthar Athréimiú na Gaeilge, arsa an Bhean Imfheasa. Agus go deimhin sin é an bóthar atá múchta nach mór le luifearnach, ceal úsáide.

Má theastaíonn uait teanga a athréimiú, agus an teanga sin ina friotal beo bíogach, téann tú go dtí an fhoinse, mar atá an Ghaeltacht sa tír seo. Mar is rí-eol, faraor, ba chuma leis na boic a bhí i gceannas ar an Saorstát iarthar na tíre agus a muintir. I dtigh diabhal nó Meiriceá leo, nó aon áit eile thar lear ach ná lig do na culchies greim a fháil ar an stát nua.

Sa mbliain 1921 a rugadh mise, agus i measc na meánaicme. B’shin an cineál cainte a chualas ó na daoine fásta is mé i mo ghasúr, is mé i mo dhéagóir. Nuair a d’fhéadfaí fear a thabhairt orm bhí an t-iarthar bánaithe. Coilínteacht a bhí sa tSaorstát agus coilínteacht angla-Mheiriceánach atá ann fós.

Beidh duine nó beirt anseo nach bhfuil ar aon intinn agam, maidir le dán na Gaeilge, ar aon chor. Meabhróidh siad dom go ndearnadh an-iarracht múinteoirí an Stáit a thraenáil sa gcaoi go mbeidis in ann an teanga a mhúineadh sna scoileanna. Agus is fíor sin. Bhí uncail liomsa, an tÍosán Éamonn mac Aindrís ar an dream sin. Go hInis Meáin a cuireadh seisean agus dream beag in éindí agus blianta ina dhiaidh sin thángas ar Mháirtín Ó Cadhain agus chualas scéal na ndaoine sin óna bhéal. Ní hé Máirtín Ó Cadhain, an scríbhneoir clúiteach, atá i gceist agam anseo ach Cadhain aonraic eile a shíl go raibh gaol éigin fada amach idir é agus an trodaí fir úd. Nach fánach an aice a bhfaighfeá gliomach? Nó scéalaí maith!

Seirbhís den scoth a thug na múinteoirí úd ina mbunáite agus a bhuíochas do chuid díobh bhí mise, a tógadh le Béarla, in ann mé féin a chur in iúl trí Ghaeilge, más go ciotach féin é, sa mbliain 1939, nuair a d’fhágas an mheánscoil.Na heasaontóirí i bhur measc, ba mhaith leo a mheabhrú dom go ndearna an Saorstát rud maith eile i mbunú na gColáistí Ullmhúcháin, córas a thug deis do dhaoine bochta sna Gaeltachtaí teacht ar scothoideachas ina dteanga álainn féin.

Arís eile is fíor sin. Ach an gníomh ba thábhachtaí ar fad, mar a bhí, mar atá fós, gaelú na státseirbhíse, sheachain siad sin, mar a bheadh an plá ann. Ba í an státseirbhís sin an namhaid ba mhó a bhí ag an stát nua. Agus an lá atá inniu ann is é sin an dream is naimhdí don nGaeilge. Is fíor go bhfuil roinnt bheag Gaeilgeoirí ina measc ach faoin bhformhór atá mise. Scairt ar Roinn an Oideachais agus cloisfidh tú, mar fhreagra, “Education”. Má labhrann tú Gaeilge leis ar té a d’fhreagair, cuirfidh sé in iúl duit nach bhfuil dualgas dá laghad air Gaeilge a labhairt agus is léir ón gcaoi a labhrann sé nach bhfuil grá dá laghad aige do chéad teanga an stáit, más fíor.

Bhí an t-am ann sna 26 Chontae nuair a bhí Gaeilge riachtanach le dul isteach sa státseirbhís. Ach is rí-eol ag fiolar is ag fia nach raibh ansin ach muga magadh. Níor cuireadh an riail sin i bhfeidhm go hionraic le mo linn féin, go bhfios dom.

Comhrialtas de chuid Fhine Gael agus an Pháirtí Oibreachais, ar aon chuma, a chuir deireadh leis an riail úd. Vótáil Fianna Fáil ina choinne. Ach ar fhilleadh dóibh sa gcumhacht bhí dearmad áisiúil déanta acu ar a vótáil agus ar an ábhar. Faic na fríde déanta ag Fianna Fáil ó shin le cúrsaí a réiteach.

Níor mhór iad na buntáistí a bhí ag an té a raibh Gaeilge ar a shon aige. Ach le cinneadh úd an

Chomhrialtais baineadh an luach beag sin a bhí ag an teanga. Cén fáth, arsa daoine áirithe ansin go leanfaí de bheith ag foghlaim na Gaeilge ar scoil? Am amú, arsa na huxtéirí. Agus rugadh an Language Freedom Movement, meánaicmeach go smúsach. Mar bhaill de Mhisneach agus de Chonradh na Gaeilge throid muid iad i mBaile Átha Cliath. In ainneoin an tacaíocht a fuaireadar ón bpreas Béarlach, go háirithe Independent Newspapers, measaim gur chloigh muid iad. Ar aon chuma, i ngach suirbhé faoi thoil an phobail maidir le hathrémiú na Gaeilge, linne a bhí an pobal.

Mar sin féin, lean na polaiteoirí lena loitiméireacht. Chonaic muid an t-am nuair nach raibh pas sa nGaeilge riachtanach leis an Ardteist a bhaint amach. Tháinig an lá nuair a cuireadh deireadh leis na Coláistí Ullmhúcháin. Fianna Fáil a bhí ciontach an babhta seo. Sna seascaidí más buan mo chuimhne, a tháinig an Dr Oir. Mac Conmara ar an ardán agus mar thoradh ar shoiscéal seisean cuireadh deireadh le Gaeilge mar mheán teagaisc sna coláistí oideachais, nó sa gcuid is mó dóibh, mar d’fhan an ceann atá faoi Eaglais na hÉireann dílis go deireadh don seanchóras.

Sin is cúis do Ghaeilge mhaith a bheith ar eolas do mhúinteoirí de chuid Eaglais na hÉireann, bail ó Dhia orthu. Ba í Niamh Bhreatnach, Aire le hOid-eachas, a chuir deireadh leis an gColáiste sin, Dia linn.

I láthair na huaire níl a ndóthain Gaeilge ag formhór na múinteoirí óga atá ag teacht amach ó Dhroim Conrach agus eile agus mar thoradh air sin ní thig leo an teanga a mhúineadh sna scoileanna.

Is féidir an scéal a leigheas, ar ndóigh, ach Ulpan a bhunú do na múinteoirí agus ardú pá a gheallúint dóibh nuair a bhaineann siad amach an pas i labhairt agus i múineadh na Gaeilge. D’fhéadfaí iad a íoc go flaithiúil,freisin, as an am a chaitheann siad ag foghlaim na teanga i gceart. Tig leis an stát an t-infheistiú sin a dhéanamh ar na saolta seo agus an tír awash le hairgead más fíor don té a dúirt. Ach an bhfuil an toil ann chuige? Cuirtear ceist ar na polaiteoirí, agus gan ach na “cúpla focal” acu ina bpluic féin. Toisc nach bhféadfaí brath a thuilleadh ar na bunscoileanna le Gaeilge a theagasc ba ea a bunaíodh na Gaelscoileanna, agus stát is Eaglais ina gcoinne.

Tá ag éirí go maith, mar sin féin, leis na Gaelscoileanna, in ainneoin a laghad cabhrach a fhaigheann siad ón stát. Ach tá ábhar imní ann, mar sin féin. Feasta, an mbeidh sé cinnte go mbeidh múinteoirí ar fáil agus togha na Gaeilge acu?

Ach níl mórán ráite agam faoin nGaeltacht. Ar an gcéad dul síos, tá daonlathas in easnamh sna Gaeltachtaí chomh mór is atá sna Galltachtaí. Ar thoil an phobail go hiomlán ba chóir Údarás na Gaeltachta a bheith bunaithe.

Gan amhras, inár measc inniu tá daoine níos eolgaisí ná mise le cur síos ag fhadhbanna na Gaeltachta. Ina measc tá ganntanas oibre. Tá laghdú ar an eisimirce le tamall, buíochas le Dia, agus tá i bhfad Éireann níos mó daoine óga ag fanacht sa mbaile anois ná mar a bhí, abair, scór bliain ó shin. Ina measc tá daoine a bhfuil scoth den oideachas faighte acu agus atá ag dul i mbun oibre ar ríomhaireacht agus a leithéid de scileanna ach nach bhfuil sásta le tabhairt faoi fhreastal ar innealra. Caithfear féachaint chuige go ndéanfar freastal níos fearr a dhéanamh ar na daoine breátha óga sin.

Tá obair iontach déanta ag Raidió na Gaeltachta atá le cloisteáil le tamall beag ar fud na hEorpa. Ach tá sé molta go hard is mé i mo thost ag pobal, ag scríbhneoirí, ag ceoltóirí, ag teicneolaithe. D’fhéadfadh sé dul níos faide fós ach an t-airgead a fháil chuige sin ón stát suarach. Mar a chéile an scéal faoi Theilifís na Gaeilge, faoi TG4 agus leasainmneacha eile.

An Táin

Ní féidir mórán a rá taobh istigh den am atá ar fáil agis tuairisc chuimisitheach a chur os bhur gcomhair. Dáiríre, bheadh deireadh seachtaine de dhíth orainn le cúrsaí á chíoradh go hiomlán, go cúramach agus go hionraic. Ach, mar fhocal scoir, agus toisc mé i measc, is dóide, polaiteoirí óga, an ní ba thábhachtaí a d’fhéadfaí a dhéanamh inniu tá, páirtí polaitiúil lánGhaelach a bhunú agus an teanga a theagasc doibh siúd ar mhaith leo a bheith páirteach ann ach atá dall is bodhar ar Ghaeilge. Ulpanim, d’eile!
-- Deasún Breatnach
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