Republican News · Thursday 7 March 2002

State should take over Ardagh Glass

Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin has called on the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Noel Dempsey, to initiate a State takeover of the Ardagh glass bottle plant in Dublin, the only glass recycling facility in the State, which has announced that it is to close. Ó Caoláin said the State and local authority should intervene to ensure that the waste management crisis is not worsened and to save nearly 400 jobs.

"The Ardagh plant is the only glass recycling facility in this State," he said. "If it is allowed to close it will be a disaster on two fronts. Four hundred workers will lose their jobs and the waste management crisis will be deepened. The State should move in immediately.

"Given the essential role this plant plays in our waste management infrastructure, the government is duty bound to intervene now. Local authorities have invested in new collection facilities for glass bottles throughout the country but if Ardagh closes their main recycling outlet for this material will be gone."

On Monday 4 March, Dublin City Council passed an emergency Sinn Féin motion expressing grave concern at the threatened closure and callling on the Council to intervene immediately, in partnership with the Department of the Environment and Local Government, and SIPTU, to initiate a State/local authority/union takeover and rescue of this essential national waste management facility. The councillors called on Minister Dempsey to support this initiative.

Daithí Doolan, Sinn Féin candidate for Dublin South East, speaking after the motion was passed, said he had it "on good authority that a well known property developer has already made an offer for the Ardagh factory site and that here lies the real reason behind this threatened closure".

He said it was high time the interest and welfare of the factory worker and ordinary person were put before big business and profit. "This is where all the glass collected by REHAB ends up and is the only glass recycling facility in the State. The government needs to seriously review its continued ineffectual approach to the current waste management crisis."