Angry Wicklow Hauliers To Take Protest to Leinster House

December 17th, 2001

By Tony Murphy


Irate hauliers from the county who protested at the offices of Wicklow County Council this morning over the local authority’s closure of illegal dumps are planning to take their fight to Leinster House tomorrow.

And they were also seething over the fact that while they were meeting with Acting Co. Secretary, Liam Fitzpatrick the registration numbers of their trucks were recorded by Council officials as part of the ongoing investigation into illegal dumping in the county.

The hauliers are angry over the fact that since the illegal dumps were discovered in West Wicklow, the Council has closed all dumps that are operating illegally. However, the drivers say that they are being victimised over the illegal activity of the hauliers who dumped hospital waste in West Wicklow.

The hauliers claim that they are not involved in dumping heavy industrial waste but merely deposit small loads of harmless refuse such as building site materials. This mornings protest was designed to give an understanding of their plight to Council officials.

However, they claim that the meeting with Mr. Fitzpatrick proved fruitless and they now plan to drive their vehicles to Leinster House tomorrow morning to bring attention nationally to the problem.