Some county councillors are now demanding that local authority bosses offload the facility and cut its losses. The landfill at Bottlehill, 20km north of Cork City and close to the main Cork-Limerick road, was supposed to open in 2009. However, it was mothballed because the then county manager said it shouldn’t be opened as the council couldn’t compete with the charges other local authority controlled landfills in Munster were offering. The Irish Examiner asked the council how much taxpayers’ money has been spent on maintaining the site in the 16 years since then. Mr Barry said it is "absolutely ridiculous" that the local authority is still pumping money into it.

Source: Irish Examiner February 08, 2026 19:33 UTC