The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has objected to the expansion of a cement works in Co Meath because of its proximity to the Battle of the Boyne site.
South Down MLA Jim Wells said there "seems to be some sort of deliberate industrialised drive to destroy the Battle of the Boyne site and it has to be stopped".
The cement plant where the expansion is planned is in the same area where Belgian company Indaver plans to build the State's first municipal waste incinerator.
,Jim Wells
The plan to expand the Platin Cement Works by Irish Cement involves the construction of a 125-metre chimney stack. Meath County Council in January expressed concern about the potential impact on and damage to Newgrange and the other national monuments in the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage site from emissions from the proposed cement stack.
The council was due to deliver its decision at the start of the year on the planning application for the extension to the Platin plant outside Drogheda, Co Louth, but has instead issued the company with the request for further information on the application.
Today Mr Wells said: "Sadly, it seems from a heritage perspective that the Battle for the Boyne is continuing.
"The site of the proposal is in the 'footprint' of the Battle of Boyne, a location that should be protected and cherished because of its historical value rather than being dominated by a huge industrial structure that would be higher than the spire in Dublin's O'Connell Street.
"This planning application is absolutely outrageous and I cannot believe the company has even considered lodging it in the first place.
"Whatever your view of the Battle of the Boyne and its outcome, the fact remains that it was one of the defining points in Irish history and is of great significance both in Northern Ireland the Republic."
Referring to both the Indaver and Irish Cement plans, Mr Wells added: "Both sites are within a mile of each other and it is ludicrous to even consider giving them the light of day.
"They are not only in the heart of the Battle of the Boyne site, they are also close to the nearby Unesco World Heritage site, which is Europe's largest and most important concentration of prehistoric megalithic art."
