Picketing of town dump to end

A group of Ballinasloe residents will be bringing their own legal proceedings over the operation of the town dump, the High Court was told yesterday.

Mr Michael O'Donnell, for the residents, said his clients were anxious that their proceedings should be heard at the same time as proceedings initiated by Ballinasloe UDC to restrain them from picketing the dump.

He would be serving the cross-proceedings within two weeks, Mr O'Donnell said.

Picketing of the landfill site at Pollboy began on Saturday, January 9th, after local residents objected to the decision to transport refuse there from Galway city.

Last December the High Court decided that the city dump at Carrowbraun was to be closed from January 10th.

On January 11th the High Court, on the application of Ballinasloe UDC, granted an interim injunction restraining several named residents from picketing the dump or interfering with vehicular access to it.

The High Court was told yesterday that the residents had accepted that the order would continue until the hearing of the full action.

Mr Justice O'Sullivan said he would continue the order until the trial of the action and also directed that Ballinasloe UDC serve its defence to the residents' proceedings within one week of receiving their statement of claim.

He adjourned the matter to February 11th next, when a date is expected be fixed for the hearing of the full action.