Dublin City Council has splashed out more than €19m on experts in the preparation of plans for the controversial Poolbeg incinerator.
However, one company -- consultant engineer's MC O'Sullivan & Co -- has received the lion's share of the spending spree. The council paid the company more than €13m for its expert opinion on plans for the new waste-burning facility.
A further €5m was paid to RPS Consulting Engineers who have taken over MC O'Sullivan.
Other substantial consultancy fees were paid to Elsam Kraft A/S (€250,000), AWN Consulting (€90,000) and BDO Simpson Xavier (€69,781).
Dublin City Council refused to comment on the figures yesterday. However, it has stated in the past that the waste-to-energy plant will generate enough energy to provide electricity for 50,000 homes and district heating for a further 60,000.
According to Labour Cllr Kevin Humphreys, some of the market research surveys commissioned by the council "were geared to give the impression that there was support in Dublin" for the facility.
High
He added that although MC O'Sullivan had been hired over several years to bring the scheme up to planning permission stage, the figure was "extremely high".
Residents in Ringsend are set to seek a judicial review this month against the decision by An Bord Pleanala to grant permission for the incinerator.
They claim any potential accidents at the plan, which will burn 600,000 tonnes of waste a year, would have knock-on effects across the capital city.
Irish Independent
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