State must clean up act or face seven-figure fine

THE Government will face fines of several million euro if it does not clean up its act after being found guilty yesterday of failing to tackle illegal dumping and breaking EU waste directives.

The European Court of Justice found Ireland had failed to deal with waste in a way that protects health and the environment - almost 30 years after signing an EU waste management directive.

The landmark case taken by the European Commission found the State had tolerated unauthorised landfills for a long period, with no attempt to end them.

“It appears Ireland is a first-world country with a third-world attitude towards some issues, like waste,” one official said.

The court also criticised the Irish authorities for failing to ensure all municipal landfills held permits.

It accepted the State tried to sort out the problem since the complaints were made between 1997 and 2000, but it needed evidence of improvements.

The European Commission will give the Government a timeframe to clean up its act and if it does not comply it will face a fine of millions of euro.

The case was taken after complaints of problems, especially in illegal waste sites in many parts of the country including Lough, Dublin, Wicklow and Waterford.

Green Party environment spokesman Ciarán Cuffe said the verdict was a “damning indictment” on the Government’s mishandling of the issue.

“Environment Minister Dick Roche must take responsibility for this serious and sustained criticism of the Government’s handling of the waste issue - I believe breaches of the directive are still occurring,” Mr Cuffe added.

The High Court can fine illegal dumpers up to €15 million and/or impose a two-year jail term, but no one has been brought before it - despite illegal dumps discovered.

The Labour Party said the Government’s shocking record on the environment had again landed Ireland in the European dock.

“Despite Minister Roche’s claims that illegal dumping is no longer taking place, illegal dumps are still being uncovered on a regular basis,” environment spokesman Eamon Gilmore said.

But Mr Roche said Irish regulations were now up to scratch, matching modern EU standards.

“Illegal waste activities are crimes against the environment - I want to see those involved in this activity brought to justice,” he said.

The judgment will be studied by his department, the Office of Environmental Enforcement and the Attorney General’s Office.

He added that where gaps were identified in the current control regime, they would be urgently rectified.