Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

When travelling around the country I presume the Taoiseach has, from time to time, come across landowners and farmers cursed with the problem of criminals dumping waste illegally on their land. From speaking to people affected, he will know it is not only a case of crops being destroyed, scrap metal proving a hazard for combine harvester operators or otherwise but often the landowner is hauled before court and considered liable. Landowners are asked if they knew about the dumping and how they allowed it to happen.

The Minister of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, who is priming the Taoiseach for his reply, probably knows I will mention Blessington. In light of the regionally important aquifer, which is in danger of being affected by dumping in the area, will the Taoiseach indicate how a large company such as Cement Roadstone, found with perhaps 300,000 tonnes of waste illegally dumped on its land from perhaps 10,000 truckloads, can claim no knowledge of it and escape prosecution for the crime, whoever carried it out?

Does the Taoiseach regard it as unacceptable and bizarre that planning permission is needed for a finger post sign but that this particular operation does not need it? Planning permission is not required to make an illegal dump legal. We have talked about rules for the rich and the poor. Does the Taoiseach not see a double standard whereby an operation such as this does not need planning permission after an illegal dump and a crime has been discovered?

Will the Taoiseach instruct the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government not to allow a section 55 procedure which would, effectively, permit a company like Cement Roadstone to be sprung from that particular situation and not even have to apply for planning permission never mind face prosecution which other landowners would face if an illegal dump was found on their land?

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