Thousands of objectors to the proposed incinerator at Poolbeg in Dublin made their opinions known to An Bord Pleanála today including three sitting TDs from Dublin South East.
The inquiry at Croke Park featured nearly 3,000 objections from Dublin South East residents to the waste burning facility.
Tánaiste Michael McDowell went as far to say that the Progressive Democrats will not go into Government unless the Incinerator project is stopped.
He also accused Dublin City Council officials of lying about the breakdown of negotiations with a Danish contractor that has the option to build and operate the facility.
Mr McDowell claims he has seen documents that show the whole public-private partnership process will have to be started over again.
The plan for a mass burning incinerator to deal with 600,000 tonnes of refuse is also opposed by most local representatives, including deputies Ruairi Quinn of Labour and John Gormley of the Greens.
They say it is too big and is wrongly sited, as the Poolbeg peninsula is due to be developed as a residential area.
Local residents are also concerned about pollution, safety and the traffic congestion that the plant would bring.
But Dublin City Council and the other three local authorities say the plant is safe and necessary to fulfil a European Union directive on reducing landfill.
They also say it will take 25% of Dublin's landfill waste and convert it into heating and electricity for tens of thousands of homes.
The hearing is expected to last a number of weeks.
