The Minister for Defence, Mr O'Dea, has said he does not believe Ringaskiddy is "an appropriate location" for a proposed hazardous waste incinerator.
Mr O'Dea did not wish to get involved in the detail of the case, as it was currently before the courts in the form of a judicial review of An Bord Pleanála's decision to give planning for the incinerator. But he said he believed that Ringaskiddy was not a suitable location.
"I understand that there was particular problems with the zoning and the members of Cork County Council took the view that the zoning didn't allow such a facility there. Now obviously it's been overruled by An Bord Pleanála, which is of course independent of government," he said.
"The licence was issued by the EPA, which is also independent of government, and the matter has gone to the courts, which are most certainly independent of government. But just as an outsider coming in here for the first time, it looked to me a quite inappropriate location," he said.
Mr O'Dea said he was fully supportive of the Government's policy on waste management and its recognition of the need for incineration, but the question was where to locate such facilities, and he didn't believe that Ringaskiddy was the most appropriate.
He explained that he formed the view primarily because of the proposed incinerator's proximity to the Naval Service base at Haulbowline and the National Maritime College at Ringaskiddy. But he stressed that he did not wish to be seen to interfere with the case before the courts.
"I know all about incineration and I know the value of incineration. I know the necessity of incineration. But surely there is some more suitable location. Maybe there isn't, I don't know. It seems odd."
His comments were welcomed by Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment, whose spokeswoman, Ms Linda Fitzpatrick, said the group was "very pleased that a senior Government minister is seeing sense".
She added: "It is a highly inappropriate location. That was highlighted by the Bord Pleanála senior planning inspector and it was highlighted again last week when it was flooded, and it fails the WHO guidelines on siting hazardous incinerators."
Mr O'Dea made his comments on his first visit to the Naval Service base at Haulbowline, where he officially opened a new €2.5 million storage facility.
He also ruled out a proposal by his predecessor, Mr Michael Smith, to use SSIA funds for a ship replacement programme.
"The idea of using the SSIAs to re-equip the Navy doesn't make any sense to me," said Mr O'Dea, adding that he planned to invest in new equipment for the Defence Forces through direct provision in accordance with the estimates and through selling Department of Defence property.
He said a committee within the Department was compiling a portfolio of properties that could be sold.
He said he was confident that this would bring in funding which would continue to be ring-fenced for re-investment in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps.
He said he was aware that the LE Eimear would need to be replaced in 2007 and that the Naval Service was formulating a series of proposals on what type of vessel it would like to replace her.
He said he would study the submission carefully.
"The question is what do we replace her with - do you replace her with something more multi-purpose? Any ship now is a big capital investment and we want to make sure that for the sake of a couple of extra million euro we get the best possible value for every euro we're spending."
