One of the authors of a report commissioned by the Government on the health effects of landfill and waste disposal has warned that a definitive answer on the issue may not be possible.
Speaking yesterday at the inaugural population health summer school in University College Cork, Dr Anthony Staines said it would take a very long time to achieve scientific certainty on waste issues.
"What is certain is that if we leave our waste to pile up on the streets, with rats around, the effects of that will be worse than the effects of disposing of it properly," he said.
Researchers at the Department of Public Health Medicine and Epidemiology in UCD are examining the effects of landfill and thermal waste on public health and the environment in the Republic.
Specific research objectives include a study of the attitudes and knowledge of service-providers and the public to waste management options.
The team at UCD will also provide a comprehensive description of waste managment in Ireland and selected countries throughout Europe.
Dr Staines said waste disposal was "a hot political potato which was often swept under the carpet" because it was viewed as a "dirty issue". "People really want waste to magically disappear from their doorsteps and stay disappeared. This isn't going to happen," he said
Experts must admit uncertainty in relation to waste issues rather than use science to pour scorn on the heads of opponents.
The Irish Waste Management Effects Group report will be published later this year.