Sinn Féin has slammed the Environment Minister and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after they decided to increase the intake of waste at Ballynagran landfill in Wicklow to 190,000 tonnes.

John Brady TD said Minister Denis Naughten's decision in "the wrong one".

He said: "This increase is 40,000 tonnes above the maximum tonnage under the planning conditions set out by the EPA waste licence. However, the EPA are on board and have already facilitated it by making technical amendments to the waste licence.

"The fact that Minister Naughten, along with others, were made aware of this emergency situation well before it occurred yet, they still failed to take action and put plans in place is particularly concerning.

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"I appealed to the Minister to intervene in this most serious situation and I asked him to contact the EPA to request that they reverse this decision.

"I highlighted a number of ongoing concerns with the landfill site as it is never mind with an additional 40,000 tonnes which will simply make a bad situation worse.

"I am disappointed that Wicklow County Council did not see fit to consult with the community liaison committee which, was set up as part of the planning process, elected representatives or locals living in the community. This was wrong.

"The Minister’s response to my concerns provides little comfort to the people of Wicklow particularly, those living within the vicinity of the landfill site. The way that this so-called emergency situation has been dealt with has been entirely insufficient and it has blatantly ignored the legitimate concerns of people in the area."

(CD/MH)