A multi-agency investigation is underway into the origin of waste on board a truck that crashed at Slane Bridge, in County Meath, last Monday.
Gardaí, the Environmental Protection Agency and Meath County Council are investigating the background to the waste and its transportation from Dublin. It's understood that the waste was being transported by a sub-contractor with an address in County Louth.
Sources confirmed there is no record of this contractor, holding a waste collection permit either in Louth or from Dublin City Council.
A company must hold a permit before it can legally collect waste.
Meath County Council, which is the nominated authority for waste collection permits in the northeast, including counties Louth and Meath said the company has not applied for a permit and does not hold one. The truck, which had a UK registration, was being driven towards the Border. From there it may have intended to cross by ferry to Scotland where the waste might have been deposited.
The EPA has confirmed it is investigating the source of the waste and its potential disposal, as well as whether the proper permits and authorisations were in place.
Two senior officers from the EPA visited the scene of the crash yesterday afternoon and their report is expected in the coming days.
Initial concerns that there was medical waste proved unfounded and Meath County Council confirmed that it was mainly commercial and domestic waste.
Around five tonnes of the twenty-one tonne load of waste fell from the vehicle after it crashed over the side of the bridge, which has itself been the source of much controversy.
Meath County Council also confirmed that no waste entered the river Boyne and there was no threat to the environment.
'It's understood that the same driver had complete two previous trips from Dublin to Scotland in the last week.