Hospital managers to be question over illegal dump

Managers at three Dublin hospitals were today summoned to a meeting of council public health officials to be questioned about how medical waste ended up in an illegal dumping site.

The hospital representatives were appearing before an emergency meeting of Wicklow County Council after the dump was found at the Glen of Imaal last week.

Council workers in bio-protection suits scoured the site and recovered bloodstained bandages, used body fluid bags, tubes from operations and syringes.

Confidential private patient records were also among what is estimated to be 200 tonnes of waste.

The three hospitals, which Wicklow County Council refused to name, are expected to be asked to provide details of their waste records and prove their contaminated rubbish was properly disposed of.

If any of the hospitals are implicated it is likely that they will be asked to produce plans for clearance of the site.

Acting county secretary Liam Fitzpatrick said: ‘‘Three Dublin hospitals have been invited to a meeting in County Buildings after we discovered a landfill dump which appeared to contain some waste.

‘‘We have invited them to the meeting to assess what the waste was and why it was there.’’

The meeting would be attended by hospital representatives and members of the council’s public health and environmental services staff.

The Eastern Regional Health Board has launched a separate inquiry into the waste scandal.

Fears have also been raised for animals on land near to the illegal tip.

Sheep in an adjoining field are being examined by a vet and many may have to be put down if they prove to have been contaminated.

Council officials say there are around 200 illegal dumps in Co Wicklow.

It is estimated that there may be as many as 6,000 such dumps nationwide.