Wexford County Council has been urged to maximise the financial potential of the authority's new Holmestown landfill site.

It has been claimed the facility could generate millions of extra euros every year if operated more efficiently.

According to local councillor Padge Reck, the authority could steer through the economic recession by negotiating better deals with private waste operators, currently transporting their refuge outside of the county.

Mr Reck said he knows of one operator who is prepared to arrange a deal with the council, which could be worth up to €1m per year.

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Opportunities like this are not being pursued, the councillor claimed.

Mr Reck suggested the region had managed to get through the 1980s recession thanks to landfill sites in the county, namely the Killurin facility.

"We are now sending money, not refuse up the Dublin road," he claimed.

Wexford council had been transporting waste to Carlow prior to the opening of the Holmestown site.

"We need to get private operators in. If we fill the landfill in ten years so what? We'll provide another one," said Mr Reck.

"It will help us to generate revenue in the bad times, instead of giving it away to someone else. I have one particular customer who would give us €1m a year if we'd do a deal on the price," he added.

Councillor John Dwyer said it was the first time he had heard "such a firm trade unionist argue for non-union, private operators to get a sweetheart deal to dump rubbish when 40 union county council employees at are being laid off".

Director of Environment Services Niall McGuigan confirmed that Wexford County Council is currently "negotiating with people in relation to Holmestown".

(PR/JM)