Blessington dumps now a threat to Dublin water supply says de Burca

The Green Party councillor made her remarks following a disclosure by Independent councillor, Tommy Cullen, that the Wicklow County Manager, Mr Eddie Sheehy, had recently granted planning permission to Roadstone to develop a quarry on over 30 acres of its lands at Blessington, next to the site of the illegal dumps. Cllr Cullen pointed out that this planning permission had been appealed to an Bord Pleanala and that as part of this appeal process, Dublin City Council had made a submission claiming that such a quarry had the potential to pollute the local Poulaphuca Resevoir, and to jeopardise the drinking water supply to 50% of the Dublin Region. Dublin City Council’s letter also referred to the issue of the "unauthorised landfill" on Roadstone’s land and stated that "development around the perimeter of the reservoir must be controlled in order to prevent pollution".

"I am absolutely astonished by the revelations concerning Dublin City Council’s letter to an Bord Pleanala of August 11th, objecting to the decisions of the Wicklow County Manager to grant planning permission to Roadstone for over 30 acres of quarry at Deeerpark, Blessington" says de Burca. "We now have documentary evidence that what I and others on this council have been saying is correct and that the vast illegal dumps in the Blessington region are now acknowledged to be a direct threat not just to the drinking water supply of Blessington, but to the water supply of the population of the Dublin Region. This means that the drinking water supply to almost three quarters of a million people in this state may be under threat from these illegal dumps. And these are the very illegal dumps that the Wicklow County Manager proposed should be left on site!".

De Burca says that the credibility of the Wicklow County Manager has been "blown to shreds" both by the EPA Inspector’s recent report refusing a waste licence for a landfill on Roadstone’s land in Blessington and now by the Dublin City Council letter of August 11^th. She says that it is clear that the illegal dumps at Blessington must now be treated as a national issue of the greatest importance. She has called on the Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche to "stop playing Nero as Rome burns" and to agree to appoint an Inspector to take charge of investigating the issue, and Wicklow County Council’s handling of it.

Cllr de Burca seconded a motion proposed at the Special meeting by Cllr Tommy Cullen which called for Wicklow County Council to seek to have the Mahon Tribunal to investigate the planning scandals surrounding the "entire sordid issue". She has also expressed her concern at the failure of the council to properly investigate allegations that substantial quantities of asbestos waste have been illegally dumped in the Fassaroe area in Bray over the years." I want to know if and when instructions were given to an Inspector of this council not to proceed with this investigation of the Fassaroe lands and what official in particular gave this order" says de Burca.

The Green Party councillor claims that many of the concerns she has raised on Wicklow County Council over the past few years concerning illegal dumping in West Wicklow have been totally vindicated by the EPA Inspector’s report and by the recent letter of Dublin City Council to an Bord Pleanala. "It is time for a full and open investigation of the waste scandals in this county" says de Burca. "Minister Roche is the man who is in a position to make this happen. I am calling on him to appoint an Inspector as a matter of urgency to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the issue in order to resore public confidence in the administration of local government in this county".

For further information please contact:
Deirdre de Burca on 086-806 1450; email: deburca@wicklowgreens.org