Campaigners and political parties have reacted angrily to the news that the State's first municipal waste incinerator has been approved by An Bord Pleanála.
The €80 million facility will be at Carranstown, Co Meath, between Duleek and Drogheda, Co Louth - the State's largest provincial town.
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Permission to build the incinerator was granted to Indaver Ireland in 2001 by Meath County Council and that decision was today upheld by An Bord Pleanála.
Mr Pat O'Brien of the No Incineration Alliance said he was "disappointed but not surprised" at the decision.
"This is a flawed process and a flawed result, but the fight will go on," Mr O'Brien said.
He said objectors were not allowed to raise the issues of health, environment or emission during the appeal process. "This goes against our democratic rights".
Mr O'Brien also said the decision was provided to the media before being given to his group and other objectors. "They indicated strongly it would be given next Tuesday".
An Bord Pleanála has laid down 31 conditions in its decision.
A study published by the Health Reasearch Board (HRB) last month suggested there were insufficient resources in Ireland to assess the possible health risks associated with waste incineration.
It said that there is some evidence that incinerator emissions may be associated with respiratory symptoms but said "a link between cancer and proximity to an incinerator is not conclusive."
The report called for further research using reliable estimates of exposure over long periods of time.
Labour Party Environment Spokesperson, Mr Eamon Gilmore his party believed incineration "is the wrong strategy to deal with Ireland's severe waste problem."
"This decision has been taken for the simple reason that little or no recycling infrastructure is available throughout the country. Indeed, most of the small amount of waste collected for such purposes in Ireland is actually shipped-off outside the State."
"The priority should be to invest in recycling, not incineration," he added.
Fine Gael TD for Louth Mr Fergus O'Dowd said he was "deeply unhappy and angry" today's decision.
"We have the highest rate of respiratory cancers in Ireland in County Lo, and Drogheda, in particular, has a very high rate of asthma," he said.
"The recent Health Research Board report clearly identifies respiratory illness with incineration, and Louth County Council to its credit voted against the incinerator. Yet this Government changed the law and Minister Dempsey must take full responsibility for this monster in our midst."
Mr Michael McKeon of the Green Party in Co Louth asked how is was "possible that the minister of health can stand in the sidelines known that incinerators provoke the birth of deformed babies, cause cancer and illness, without stoping the building of incinerators or informing at once the public."
Indaver General Manager Mr John Ahern said today's decision "confirms that our proposed facility is in line with the North East Waste Management Plan and reinforces the region's decision to include incineration as part of a modern waste management system".
"This facility, coupled with numerous bring banks, recycling centres, material recovery plants plus a residual landfill, puts the North East in a strong position to implement a modern integrated waste management system," he added.
