Local residents 'in shock' over landfill proposal

Several farmers whose homes have been earmarked for demolition to make way for a proposed 350-acre super-landfill at Tooman, north of Swords in north Co Dublin, spoke yesterday of their "devastation".

Ms Elizabeth Monks, whose husband's family have been farming in the area for seven generations, said: "Everybody is in shock. There were six sites in the running for the dump, and you always thought you were not going to be the one."

Eight houses are to be demolished in the Nevitt/Tooman area, five of which belong to three farming families. A total of 10 landowners will be affected.

Ms Mary White, who lives in one of the homes earmarked for demolition with her farmer husband, three children and her mother, said: "We're completely devastated. It's a lovely, quiet location; a great place to bring up kids. Where on earth would we move to?"

According to estate agents, residents can expect to receive about €50,000 an acre for agricultural land in the area, as well as compensation for loss of earnings and disruption.

Ms Monks added: "We couldn't just buy land like this again. We wouldn't get what we want. It's terrible to think of leaving such a lovely area, and a lovely old house which we have maintained over the years."

The proposed dump has yet to be approved by Fingal County Council.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said yesterday it would carry out an investigation on any safety implications for Dublin airport, which is located 15km south of Tooman. The IAA had warned Fingal against locating a dump within 13km of the airport because of the risk of bird strikes.

Residents say they will oppose any planning application, and are threatening to take the matter to the European Court of Justice.

Ms Marianne Shortt, another facing "eviction", said: "We will take it to Europe because we are not going to allow our homes be torn down for a dump." She said the council had last year opposed a theme park in the area "because this was one of the few green belts left in Fingal, and they felt it shouldn't be destroyed. Now they are destroying it themselves."

Green Party leader and North Dublin TD Mr Trevor Sargent said that instead of insisting on the polluter-pays principle or a minimisation of waste strategy, the Government had chosen an "out of sight, out of mind option".

Labour TD Mr Seán Ryan expressed his opposition to the "superdump".