[Press Release: March 25th, 2002]

GREEN PARTY COUNCILLOR DEMANDS ACTION ON ILLEGAL DUMPING IN HIGH COURT ACTION

Green Party councillor, Deirdre de Burca, has demanded action on illegal dumping in Wicklow following Friday's high court judgement on her application for a judicial review against Wicklow County Council's decision to privatise waste collection services. Councillor de Burca took the case 18 months ago, saying that the privatisation of Wicklow's waste collection without a proper regulatory system would result in widespread illegal dumping. Her concerns have since been borne out as more than 80 illegal dumps have been discovered around the Garden County.

Councillor de Burca was seeking a court injunction to force Wicklow County Council to continue to collect waste in county Wicklow. She was also demanding that Wicklow County Council prepare a waste management plan and put in place a comprehensive regulation and permit system for waste collection. While she welcomed the fact that, in the 18 months it took to have the case heard, Wicklow County Council had implemented the first two of these actions, councillor de Burca maintained that the decision to privatise waste collection in Wicklow was flawed and said that the concerns that prompted her to take the case had been borne out by recent discoveries of illegal dumping in Wicklow. "There has clearly been a catastrophic breakdown in the regulation of waste collection and dumping in County Wicklow", she said. "This has extremely serious health, environmental and economic consequences".

In delivering his judgement, Judge O' Cuiv acknowledged the importance of the case and said that it highlighted matters of concern in relation to the implementation of EU waste directives. He also recognised that there appears to have been various breaches of EU waste legislation. However he refused councillor De Burca's attempt to reverse Wicklow County Council's decision to privatise waste collection and further stated that he did not intend to look beyond sworn affidavits of Wicklow County Council, including a statement that there was no illegal dumping in the county in January 2,000.

The case will be concluded on April 12th when councillor de Burca will be demanding that new evidence on the extent of illegal dumping in county Wicklow be heard.

For further information please contact Deirdre de Burca on 086 8061450 or email deburca@wicklowgreens.org.