I wrote a LTE to the Irish Times at the time saying the compensation should be made conditional on the factory being converted to bio-ethanol use - thus preserving the livelihoods of farmers and factory workers - and reducing our dependence on imported oil. (Ireland has one of the highest per capita imported energy footprints in the world)
Needless to say the letter wasn't published. "It's a mystery to me - the game commences, For the usual fee - plus expenses, Confidential information - it's in my diary..."
Surely it would be a more effective use of public funds and planning initiatives if the site was redesignated for the production of biofuels and the €145 million was made available to fund the conversion of the plant for this purpose. Farmers could continue to grow feedstock crops and the production of biofuel would lesson Ireland's dependency on imported oil and help us achieve our Kyoto targets for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Or is helping Greencore make a short-term financial killing a more important public policy objective?" "It's a mystery to me - the game commences, For the usual fee - plus expenses, Confidential information - it's in my diary..."
