Sinn Féin TD for Wicklow and Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), John Brady has said that new information provided by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment regarding the remediation of the illegal Whitestown landfill is “deeply concerning” and highlights the enormous and mounting costs at the site, while raising further questions over accountability and the continuing issues at the site.
Speaking following receipt of the information, Teachta Brady said:
“The people of Wicklow have endured the consequences of this environmental disaster for more than a generation.
“Wicklow County Council closed the illegal site in 2001, and the 25 years since have been marked by a litany of failures.
“Following a previous remediation plan that the council said had been successful in 2014, proceedings were launched in the High Court.
“In July 2017, after a 53 day hearing, the judge concluded that the botched remediation plan left about 93 per cent of the waste on site and he directed that the council remove waste and remediate the site.
“We now know that medical waste, industrial waste and hazardous waste have all been discovered at what was the largest illegal dump in Ireland, including syringes and other medical equipment that were illegally disposed of at the site.
“Following my engagement on this issue at the Public Accounts Committee, the Department has now provided further information regarding the remediation programme.
“It has confirmed that Wicklow County Council has incurred €17.91 million in remediation costs since 2013, of which, €7.8 million has been provided by the Department through the National Landfill Remediation Grant Scheme.
“We need the detail on what exactly this money has been spent on, because the long-term issues at the site persist and the vast majority of waste still remains.
“Worryingly, these figures also exclude what the Department describes as a substantial legal bill that has yet to be agreed.
“We need line of sight on these costs and potential further liabilities.
“The Department also states that the council estimates the remaining remediation works will cost between €32 million and €38 million over the period from 2026 to 2031.
“We need a detailed breakdown of this proposed spend and clear timelines for progress.
“We also need an answer to the core question of who will ultimately pick up the tab on this project – will it be Wicklow County Council or the Department?
“If it is the Council, what impact will this have on other functions, as the Council budget is already severely overstretched.
“This needs to be urgently clarified.
“As Chair of the PAC, I will be writing to Wicklow County Council for a detailed response on all of these points.
“After decades of delays, millions of euro in public expenditure, failed remediation works and lengthy legal proceedings, the fundamental problems at Whitestown still persist.
“The people of Wicklow deserve full transparency, proper accountability for every euro spent, and certainty that this environmental disaster will finally be resolved.”
ENDS