The Green Party has attacked the Environment Minister Edwin Poots for his statement calling for an incinerator for Belfast?s North Foreshore.

Green Party spokesperson Steven Agnew stated: “Belfast City Council was democratically elected to make these decisions. We have now had two votes against the incinerator and in favour of mechanical biological treatment and the Environment Minister must respect this whether he likes it or not.”

Mr Agnew added: “Belfast City Council has a recycling rate of only 27%, this is significantly below the UK average which is in itself below the European average. We should not allow defeatist attitudes like those of the Environment Minister to dictate public policy. We can avoid European fines by increasing our recycling rates and by reducing the amount of waste we create. Incineration increases waste by burning valuable resources.”

Mr Agnew concluded: “Minister Poots should be listening to the people of North Belfast who would be burdened with the health implications of this incinerator, instead of industries that may never come.”