There were a few red faces around Longford County Council offices in the last week or so following the dismissal of a case it brought against a local couple for dumping rubbish in a bog.
The couple, who denied they had dumped plastic bags of rubbish in Ohill bog, were summoned because the local litter warden found a letter addressed to them from the Department of Agriculture in a rubbish bag in the bog. But when the case came before Longford District Court, the defendants called two county council workers to give evidence that they were instructed by a superior to dump waste material there.
The council's solicitor, Frank Gearty, objected to the introduction of the council workers to give evidence on the grounds that it was completely irrelevant what the council did or did not do.
But Judge John Neilan, who was hearing the case, said it seemed the argument being put forward was what was sauce for the goose was sauce for the gander.
The couple's solicitor, Ms Lorna Groarke, argued that the onus was not on the citizen to ascertain if the area was or was not a designated dumping ground.
When the judge asked the litter warden, Mr Thomas Mulryan, what could be found in Ohill bog, he produced photographs and said: "Anything you want to name, dead animals, plastic, domestic rubbish, landfill, trees, gushes, scrub and all sorts are dumped in the area." According to a report in the Longford Leader, the couple said they had always used the services of a private refuse collector and they had not dumped anything there.
They said it was possible that contractors carrying out building work on their home might have inadvertently picked up some rubbish bags by mistake.
Dismissing the case against the couple, Judge Neilan said he would not accept that Longford County Council had a policy in place to use Ohill bog.
He said he hoped there would be no penalty levied against the two council workers who had given evidence to the court and he instructed they should be paid for their day in court.
Yesterday, a spokesman for Longford County Council said it did not have a policy of dumping in the bog. However, the evidence given to the court concerned the disposal of a tree which had fallen on council property and had been put into the bog. "This material is biodegradable and it was the only material placed there. There is no policy of dumping there," said the spokesman.