Judge’s threat to visit waste site ‘aided clean-up more than 6 years in court’

The threat by a judge to visit a former waste transfer station had done more to have the site cleaned up than six years of court actions by the council and residents during which the defendant had “dragged his feet”.

Judge Carroll Moran left the Circuit Civil Court in Listowel yesterday to visit the site of the South West Bins Ltd transfer station in rural farmland 7km from Listowel. Judge Moran inspected the site and large sheds which had been used as collection units for waste.

The application by Kerry County Council was to jail Eoghan McEnery in his personal capacity, but also as director of South West Bins. South West had a number of legal transfer sites, but the dry recyclable operation at Kimorna, Listowel was not legal and should have been removed in Jul 2007.