Wexford County Council has given the Health Service Executive (HSE) 15 days to act following the discovery of asbestos at a site it owns in Wexford town.
The council's environment section was alerted to asbestos cement on the site, adjacent to a large residential estate, by local man Jim Breen when checking on his animals.
Niall Kane, enforcement officer with the council's environmental section, said the HSE has been contacted in relation to the site. "Our section did a land registry search following a visit to the site and discovered that the HSE is registered as the owner.
"As a result, we issued them with a notice, under Section 55 of the Waste Management Act, ordering them to carry out air monitoring on the site within 15 days."
Mr Kane added, however, that in the form the asbestos was found it was unlikely to represent a hazard.
"Asbestos . . . is only a threat to the public in dust form. At the site in question, it is damp and present in a manner still found in sheds and buildings all over Ireland."
A spokeswoman for the HSE said yesterday the matter has been referred to the Wexford local health office.
"Small fragments of 'harmless' sheeting asbestos were found on the site. Arrangements have now been made to have it safely disposed of."