Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

In Ballinasloe at the last elections some anti-dump councillors were elected because landfill was a huge issue. I visited the site two years ago and it was disgusting. It was incredible that it was happening in this day and age. The people of Galway were dumping rubbish in a landfill site that was not lined and it was being crushed. The rubbish was dumped, covered and squeezed down until it seeped out at the sides.

The problem was, however, that the elected councillors were fighting. They were asking how this would be changed and how they would generate enough money to put the necessary protections in place. Eventually the elected representatives, even those elected on an anti-dump platform, worked through the problem, applied to the EPA and identified ways where the local community could benefit. They solved the problem, applied for and have been granted an extension and are now making enough money to install the remedial works to change the dump from one that no one was proud of into a civic amenity site that people will visit in order that they can see how things are done. At the front of the site there is a recycling centre to which people from throughout County Galway bring material.

While I support the broad thrust of the Bill and some of its very fine provisions, I believe that, in making the setting of waste service charges an executive function, giving managers the responsibility for variation or replacement of waste management plans and moving all that responsibility away from the elected councillors, we are taking away one of the supports of democracy.

I have great admiration for councillors, as I know the Minister also has. At the end of the day, I believe most of them will "bite the bullet" unless there are any political manoeuvres. While I am not fully aware of what took place in Dublin City Council, I believe it was a question of politics at play. If the politics are taken out of the situation, councillors will stand up and be counted. When they understand the reasons and their responsibilities and authority, they will not be afraid to do the business. Perhaps I am naive or have not been in politics long enough but that is what I believe.