Greyhound granted injunction restraining politicians from interfering with waste collections

Barrister says three were among organisers of ‘widespread organised campaign’ to impede waste collection throughout Dublin city

Pat Dunne, a United Left councillor, leaving the Four Courts yesterday after a High Court action. Photograph: Paddy Cummins/PCPhoto.ie
Pat Dunne, a United Left councillor, leaving the Four Courts yesterday after a High Court action. Photograph: Paddy Cummins/PCPhoto.ie

Greyhound Recycling has been granted an injunction in the High Court restraining three Dublin politicians from blockading and interfering with the company's waste collection. The order also restrains any member of the public who has notice of it having been made by the court from engaging in unlawful picketing.

Louis McEntagart told the court that the industrial dispute over pay between the company and some of its employees had been going on since June last. He said Dublin TD Joan Collins (United Left) and councillors Tina McVeigh (People Before Profit) and Patrick Dunne (United Left) had been among the organisers of "a widespread organised campaign" to impede waste collection throughout the city.

Mr McEntagart said Greyhound solicitor Patrick O’Sullivan had written to them and asked for an undertaking not to engage in unlawful picketing. Court proceedings were taken out after none of the letters had been responded to. He said that offers yesterday of undertakings not to blockade Greyhound’s bin lorries on behalf of Ms Collins and Mr Dunne were not acceptable.

Mr McEntagart told Mr Justice David Keane that Greyhound had obtained a similar injunction last week against People Before Profit councillor Gino Kenny. He said the unlawful protests had been identified last week by another judge as a public health issue and 300 homes at Cromcastle, Coolock, Co Dublin, did not have their waste collected over a period of six days.

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Richard Kean SC, with William Hamilton, for Siptu, the union representing striking Greyhound workers, said Greyhound had accepted undertakings not to interfere with the company’s waste collection and its employees.

Mr Justice Keane said Ms Collins and Mr Dunne had very fairly offered to give undertakings which did not meet Greyhound’s expectation as blockades had occurred during the past week. The judge restrained the three politicians and anyone aware of his order, from blockading Greyhound’s bin lorries in the company’s depot in Clondalkin and on the roads.