asked the Minister for Local Government if he will make a statement regarding the proposed oil refinery in Dublin Bay and the effect it may have on pollution in the Dublin City area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Bay Oil Refinery.
66.
An appeal has been made to me on behalf of the proposed developers against the decision of the planning authority refusing permission under the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act, 1963, for the erection of storage and processing units for petroleum products, together with ancillaries, on a site east of Pigeon House (B) power station. It would not be appropriate for me, therefore, to make any comment on the matter.
Do the words "storage and processing units" mean an oil refinery?
I should imagine so.
And there is an appeal before the Minister at the moment?
It has been there for some time. Permission was applied for in April, 1973 and a refusal was issued in June of that year. The appeal was lodged in about July, 1973.
Apart from the merits of the appeal can the Minister tell us anything about the time schedule?
There is no time schedule.
Will there be an oral hearing?
There are 400 objectors and about 75 per cent of those have requested an oral hearing.
Question No. 67.
Will the old procedure, whereby an oral must be granted, apply to this case?
Yes.
Therefore, there will be an oral hearing.
Yes, if the application is proceeded with.
Is there some possibility that it will not be proceeded with?
I do not wish to prejudge the situation.
In other words, the Minister refuses to say whether the application will be proceeded with?
Deputy Haughey has been a parliamentarian for too long to expect me to comment on something which will eventually come before me in a judicial way.
I should not dream of asking the Minister to do that, but I thought there was a hint in what he said that the application might not be proceeded with.
All applications are not proceeded with, particularly ones that have been around for a long time and which, for one reason or another, have not been pushed.
I can read between the lines.
I do not know how good the Deputy is on that sort of thing.
Is this an appeal in detail?
Yes.