Talks to resolve the Galway refuse dispute resume this morning as the city faces its sixth day without refuse collection.
A meeting between the Waste Contractors’ Association and Mr Tom Kavanagh, assistant manager of Ballinasloe Urban District Council and Galway County Secretary was adjourned last night with no developments.
The talks resume at 11 a.m.
The chairman of the Waste Contractors’ Association Mr Clem Walsh declined to comment this morning on the hour-long meeting last night. But he said there would be no refuse collection today.
The contractors have threatened to reinstate pickets at Poolboy Dump at Ballinsloe if there is no satisfactory outcome from today’s meeting. Yesterday the picket was suspended to facilitate talks.
Private waste disposal contractors had been picketing Poolboy Dump since last Thursday in an effort to have the site reopened to accept commercial refuse.
This followed a ban by Ballinasloe UDC on commercial waste from Galway city, which is to be extended to Galway county (except the UDC area) from July 1st.
The UDC was reacting to the introduction of Environmental Protection Agency guidelines which recommended a cap on the total annual tonnage at Poolboy - reducing waste from 75,000 tonnes this year to 50,000 tonnes next year.
The contractors claim the ban has significantly reduced their workload.
Because of the continued dispute at Ballinasloe, there will be no domestic refuse collections in Galway city today.
As rubbish collects on the streets, employers have warned the waste crisis could lead to job losses and damage the tourist industry and as well present a serious health hazard.
Meanwhile Galway Corporation last night voted to adopt the Connacht Draft Waste Management Plan under which a controversial incinerator is due to be built on the outskirts of the city.
After a two-hour debate councillors voted eight to seven for the plan, thereby overturning their unanimous decision to reject it last year.