The Green Party has slammed comments made by the CEO of Dublin City Council after it was revealed he dismissed opposition to the Poolbeg Incinerator as "unhelpful"

Mr Owen Keegan also insisted the lack of political support for the incinerator should pose no threat to it going ahead, despite the project being rejected by votes in two local authorities.

The Green Party has called for Mr Keegan to retract the comments.

His comments to the CEO of waste disposal giants Covanta, operators of the Poolbeg Incinerator, came to light following a Freedom of Information request. The Greens reiterated their calls for a directly elected Mayor of Dublin, stating that this would restore democracy and transparency to local Government.

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Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said: "Both Dublin City Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council voted to scrap the planned incinerator, but the county’s Chief Executives have pushed on with it regardless. There is a lack of transparency and a democratic deficit at local authority level. While in Government the Green Party introduced legislation for a directly elected Mayor, whose election would bring democratic accountability to executive decisions. Waste management was to be one responsibility of the office. Fine Gael and Labour should strongly consider reintroducing such legislation, so local democracy can be strengthened, and situations like this avoided in future."

(CD/MH)