Secret papers found on illegal dump

Confidential Government documents have been found in an illegal dump in Northern Ireland, it was claimed today.

Papers from the Irish Department of Justice were discovered on the illegal site in Co Tyrone, near Eskra.

Among the documents found was a briefing paper from the Department of Justice in Dublin concerning a proposed meeting with the Department of Finance.

The discovery occurred nine days after it emerged the Department of Environment in Northern Ireland had set up a special team to combat the rising incidences of illegal dumping from south of the border.

DOE officials in Belfast have uncovered up to two illegal sites in Northern Ireland every week.

The dumps contain tens of thousands of tonnes of waste from homes and businesses across the Republic.

The Government was facing demands from Sinn Féin today for an emergency debate about the latest discovery.

Louth TD Arthur Morgan said there were serious implications for the Justice Department if its material was being dumped illegally north of the border.

He said: “I will ask for the normal business of the Dáil adjourned for the purpose of debating this with the Minister of Justice Michael McDowell, allowing him the opportunity to explain how this could happen and if there is some sensitive material in there.

“Some of this waste is coming from as far away as Cork and the fact that it is also coming from a Government department raises some very serious questions which need to be answered.”