Casting ones' mind back to the 2002 General Election, there was definitely a connection between Deirdre Clune's lost seat in the Dáil and her failure to grab (until too late) the importance of the incineration issue in her Cork South Central constituency.

The main benefactor of this was of course Green Party candidate, Dan Boyle, who whole-heartedly objected to Indaver Ireland's plans for a municipal incinerator in Ringaskiddy.

Boyle was elected for his first time with the backing of a healthy percentage of the 18,000 people who signed the anti-incinerator petition at the time. How times have changed.

Deirdre Clune (TD, once again) wasted no time this week in calling into question Minister John Gormley's credibility on his perceived u-turn on the issue.

Not prepared to be caught out twice, Deputy Clune demanded that the Minister "immediately clarify" where he proposes locating the two incinerators he suggests are needed nationally. Reality says that Cork will be one of these locations, thus making the issue once again a very live one again in the county.

So where do people perceptions of incineration lie five years on? Have they changed that much. We are certainly creating more waste in this country than we were five years ago, despite a greater acceptance of the merits of re-use and re-cycle.

Will there be a greater acceptance of the government's stance that incineration must become an integral part of Ireland's waste disposal policies. Unlikely when it is on your own doorstep.

So the people of Cork and the those in Meath face another prolonged battle, apparently this time without the Greens on their side. Before this takes place however, more debate is needed in Cork on the issue with the city's and county's Greens letting their public know where they now stand on the matter.

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