Refuse collections have resumed in Galway city and county today and will continue for the remainder of the week in order to facilitate further discussions to end the six-day-old refuse dispute.
Collections recommenced at 1 p.m. but are not guaranteed beyond Saturday. Talks have been scheduled for next Friday in an attempt to end the dispute over the reopening of the Poolboy Dump at Ballinsloe.
Private waste disposal contractors had been picketing Poolboy Dump since last Thursday in an effort to have the site reopened to accept commercial refuse.
This followed a ban by Ballinasloe Urban District Council (UDC) on commercial waste from Galway city, which is to be extended to Galway county (except the UDC area) from July 1st.
The UDC was reacting to the introduction of Environmental Protection Agency guidelines which recommended a cap on the total annual tonnage at Poolboy - reducing waste from 75,000 tonnes this year to 50,000 tonnes next year.
However, the Waste Contractors Association had complained the livelihoods of private contractors were being adversely affected as a result.
Following this morning’s meeting, which lasted over an hour, it was agreed by Galway’s assistant county manager, Mr Tom Kavanagh, on behalf of Ballinasloe UDC and the Waste Contractors Association to reinstate refuse collection services in the area pending the outcome of Friday’s talks.