Medical waste inquiry in Cork

Gardaí and Cork City Council officials have launched inquiries into the illegal dumping of medical waste at a site in a built…

Gardaí and Cork City Council officials have launched inquiries into the illegal dumping of medical waste at a site in a built-up residential area in the city. Barry Roche, Southern Correspondent, reports.

Environmental inspectors and gardaí visited the site near Mahon Community Centre on Cork's southside early yesterday morning to inspect a quantity of material that had been dumped on open ground.

Cllr Chris O'Leary (Green Party) reported the matter after being contacted by residents. "Some residents contacted me when their children came home with these swabs in hazardous waste bags. I was absolutely shocked by the amount of material there, including scissors and surgical clamps and other material from the clinics, including these hazardous waste bags.

"There was also a huge amount of documentation there, including medical diaries".

Cork City Council started removing the material from the site yesterday morning. A Garda spokesman confirmed the Department of the Environment had been notified.

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter