Authorities ‘must act’ to close up to 250 illegal quarries

ILLEGAL quarries and concrete plants across the country are causing major environmental damage and must be closed down, according to the Irish Concrete Federation (ICF).

ICF president Declan McCartney said that the Department of Environment and relevant Local Authorities must now act and close the estimated 200 to 250 unlicensed quarries in the country.

He made his comments as he opened the organisation’s AGM in Kildare.

Mr McCartney said it was extremely disappointing to witness the arrival of unauthorised quarry operators throughout the country. These illegal quarries are also threatening law-abiding quarries, which make their contribution to local authority coffers, he added.

He said the illegal quarries are causing untold damage to the environment and appear to be operating with impunity, while also making no monetary contribution to the running of local authorities.

“It seems that many illegal operators have taken advantage of the Quarry Registration Process to register illegal developments and have gone unchallenged to date by the relevant Local Authorities,” he said.

“The mechanisms are there to deal with them under Section 8 of the 2000 Planning Act which clearly sets out the penalties involved including the serving of enforcement notices to cease operations, fines of up to £10,000,000 (€12,000,000) and ultimately the imposition of prison sentences.

Mr McCartney said that it had become obvious that there are serious inconsistencies in the interpretation and implementation of the legislation between and within Local Authority Planning Departments.

“The ICF is concerned that Local Authorities were inadequately prepared to deal with this new legislation and that the spirit of the legislation is not been adopted,” said Mr McCartney.