asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware of the condition of Kerry County Council's public dump in Sneem; if he is aware that it is a health hazard and a public nuisance; and if he will arrange with the council to provide an alternative site for the dump there.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Kerry County Council Dump.
8.
Responsibility for the proper maintenance of its tipheads is a matter for the local authority concerned, in this case Kerry County Council.
As far as my Department are aware the tiphead referred to does not represent a health hazard but there could be environmental objections to its location. It is understood that the county council have been seeking an alternative site for some years.
Is the Minister aware that this dump is located adjacent to a burial ground where a former President of Ireland is buried, that it is unsightly and should certainly be regarded as a health hazard from many points of view? Would the Minister request the council to find an alternative site as a matter of urgency?
I am aware from the information in the brief that the tiphead is extremely unsightly and that it is also adjacent to the burial ground to which the Deputy refers. Frankly I hesitate at the beginning of my responsibility in the Custom House to direct councils to do things they could do themselves and for which, under local democracy, they should take the initiative themselves. If the council come back with a suitable alternative site and require assistance in relation to its acquisition, then I will certainly look at it. But I do not want to start off by directing people to do things, or at least I do not want to do so in every respect.